The coaching carousel is spinning. USC isn’t looking for a head coach, and of course, its defensive coordinator spot is currently occupied. However, with coaching jobs opening up, it’s certainly a situation in which the Trojans and Lincoln Riley could encourage certain members of their staff to “pursue new opportunities,” in the parlance of the industry.
Much as the staff encouraged players to transfer out of the program one year ago so that new portal additions (such as Caleb Williams and others) could come into the program, Riley could encourage Alex Grinch to look for a head coaching job or another coordinator opening.
We all saw last year how crazy the coaching carousel can be. The wheels continue to spin as one job unexpectedly opens and replacements get filled, leaving a vacuum elsewhere. If USC wants to upgrade from Alex Grinch at defensive coordinator, there are certainly some opportunities which currently exist but might not remain available for very long.
Let’s look at the landscape, focusing on one situation which just took a significant turn.