Merry Christmas, Notre Dame fans!
It may only be the early hours of December 4 as I sit and type this but it might as well be three weeks from now because I’m not sure any Notre Dame fan will get a better present than the one that just arrived on their doorstep with a return address of Los Angeles, CA.
Clay Helton appears to be returning to USC next year.
Sources inside #USC are optimistic that head coach Clay Helton will get retained I'm told.
— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) December 4, 2019
This news comes just days after a Sports Illustrated report erroneously said Helton would be out of the job and that Urban Meyer was the number-one candidate USC’s administration had in mind to replace him.
I won’t lie, upon reading that article I got more than a bit uncomfortable as a lifelong Notre Dame fan as very few fits seem as puke-worthy perfect as Meyer would at USC.
It appears now that we can say that report was in fact, false.
Let me say that I don’t think Clay Helton is an awful coach.
He led the Trojans to a third-overall final ranking in 2016 after guiding them to a Rose Bowl win over Penn State and even after falling behind big at Notre Dame this season, his players fought until the end for him, pulling within three late.
He also was the only coach to beat Utah this regular season, a currently top-five and possibly headed to the CFP squad.
It’s not that I think he’s awful by any means – that status is reserved for the likes of Tyrone Willingham, Tim Beckman, and Mike Riley if you’re looking for Power Five examples.
I just don’t think Helton is anything special, whatsoever.
Since starting his USC career by winning 27 of his first 37 games, the Trojans have gone just 13-11 in his last 24. There also appears to be some turbulence coming in terms of talent, or lack-there-of as USC currently ranks 67th in 2020 recruiting rankings per 247Sports.
Louisiana, as in the Louisiana and not LSU, North Texas, Western Michigan and Vanderbilt all rank immediately ahead of the Trojans according to those rankings.
Compared to the rest of the Pac-12, only Utah ranks lower at 107. It is worth noting a lot can change between now and National Signing Day but it’s clearly not looking like this recruiting class will be anything stellar at USC.
Getting stars to USC hasn’t been the issue for Helton as he his classes were rated the following in recent years by 247Sports:
2019 – 20th
2018 – 4th
2017 – 4th
2016 – 10th
2015 – 2nd
He gets talent to Southern California but his teams have regressed with the more elite talent he brings in. Sound like someone you used to know, Notre Dame fans?
From afar he seems to have a little Charlie Weis in him, although he seems a lot less insufferable than old Charlie was.
What we know is that there won’t be anyone to confuse as a great head coach at Southern Cal in 2020 and that’s something any fan of Notre Dame or any Pac-12 school not named USC should be thrilled about.