When Lincoln Riley talked to USC football reporters and beat writers a few weeks ago, he said something about new USC secondary coach Doug Belk which is worth noting.
Riley specifically said about Belk that “He does a great job of being able to relate to guys but holding them accountable in areas that are very important.”
USC’s previous defensive coaching staff had men who could relate to the modern athlete. Alex Grinch recruited Tackett Curtis to USC, and Curtis followed Grinch to Wisconsin this offseason after Grinch was fired by Lincoln Riley. Donte Williams is another coach from USC’s 2023 staff who formed very strong relationships with recruits. Williams was and is a skilled recruiter. Relatability is a strength Williams has.
However, while they figured out how to establish relationships in recruiting, Grinch and Williams did not establish accountability which led to discipline on the football field. Riley sees in Doug Belk a coach who can maintain the relatability of Grinch and Williams but create the accountability those two defensive coaches never did create at USC. This is why so many people are excited about Doug Belk specifically, and about the USC football staff on a general level in 2024.
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