If you were going to identify a series of details and facts which prove that Lincoln Riley is truly serious about building a defense-first program at USC, you would come up with the facts we have in front of us.
If a head coach whose failure to address the defensive side of the ball had truly had an epiphany, it would look something like this. If you were to imagine a scenario in which a head coach had a “come to Jesus” moment in terms of newly embracing defense after failing to do so for the past several years, it would basically look like this.
Lincoln Riley said he would change his approach. He said he would turn to defense first. He said defense would be a priority for USC. We all wondered if that was just empty talk or real action.
This looks like real action, everyone.
If a head coach really is serious about defense, he would hire a coordinator who was brilliant this past season at UCLA, taking ordinary talent and getting great results from that ordinary roster. D’Anton Lynn was a serious hire.
If a head coach really did value defense — and getting the best people on his staff — he would convince the head coach of a national championship program (North Dakota State) to accept a downward move and become the linebacker coach at his school. That’s what Riley did with Matt Entz.
If a head coach really meant what he said about putting defense first, he would hire a defensive back coach who has been a defensive coordinator the past three years. This is what Riley has done in bringing Doug Belk from the University of Houston to USC.
Riley is hiring head coaches and coordinators as position coaches. Guys who easily could have bigger jobs are going to USC as position coaches instead. Lincoln Riley is basically building an all-star defensive coaching staff.
The actions are matching the words. The deeds are matching the rhetoric. We all questioned if Riley was serious. His actions show he truly is. It’s great news for USC heading into 2024 and the Big Ten.
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