Doug Belk will make USC fans forget about Donte Williams (and the recruits who left)
Doug Belk replaced Donte Williams at USC, becoming the new coach for the Trojans’ secondary. Donte Williams was a great recruiter, but his actual coaching did not give USC an edge on Saturdays in the fall. USC’s secondary was a profoundly disappointing position group on a very disappointing 2023 football team.
Doug Belk comes to USC from Houston, where he was the defensive coordinator under coach Dana Holgorsen. Belk is part of a defensive staff which gave up bigger roles and responsibilities to come to USC to join Lincoln Riley.
Matt Entz was a head coach — and a national champion — at North Dakota State. He gave that up to be linebacker coach for Riley and USC. Belk gave up a Power Five coordinator job to become a position coach at USC.
There’s a lot to talk about regarding Belk. Let’s begin that conversation by giving you a small sample of the reaction to his hiring, plus some analysis of why Belk is going to fit in nicely at USC:
WELCOME!
Welcome our new Secondary Coach, @Doug_Belk ✌️ pic.twitter.com/a7Wo1ZP8tP
— USC Football ✌️ (@uscfb) December 16, 2023
HE CAN RECRUIT, TOO!
USC HC Lincoln Riley on the hiring of Belk: "His impressive body of work and reputation as a high-level coach and recruiter speak for themselves. I'm excited to welcome him to USC." https://t.co/rU4FDOhheS
— Keely Eure (@keelyismyname) December 16, 2023
ONE NEW RECRUIT IS SOLD
Let’s work✌🏾 https://t.co/X79n1am9fk
— Marcelles Williams (@cellesthegreat1) December 17, 2023
UPGRADE IN COACHING QUALITY
USC makes it official, hiring former Houston DC Doug Belk to replace Donte Williams as DBs coach. https://t.co/Rr3xwNQEA0
— TrojanSports.com (@USC_Rivals) December 16, 2023
PART OF AN ALL-STAR DEFENSIVE STAFF
Former Houston defensive coordinator lands at USC, which is putting together a very strong defensive staff for Lincoln Riley’s third season. https://t.co/xY1qwC9VWY
— Adam Rittenberg (@ESPNRittenberg) December 17, 2023
RILEY'S CHANGE IN APPROACH LOOKS REAL AND SUBSTANTIVE
Lincoln Riley: https://t.co/6xrVR2ZYl7 pic.twitter.com/112y9RUSp7
— JNav (@jnavla) December 16, 2023
THIS IS A GOOD CAREER MOVE FOR BELK AFTER HOUSTON COACH DANA HOLGORSEN WAS FIRED
Congrats my dude!!!! https://t.co/Zsg6jQ6T4n
— Will Hardesty (@CoachWHardesty) December 17, 2023
SERIOUS DEFENSIVE COACHING CHOPS AT USC
Lincoln Riley hired 3 defensive coordinators this cycle lol https://t.co/QhVpN0NiHg
— Diante Lee (@DianteLeeFB) December 16, 2023
VAST IMPROVEMENT IN DEFENSIVE COACHING
We’re so back boys. #FightOn #USC https://t.co/ODs7032nnx pic.twitter.com/PQPwldxFBL
— Alex Burchinal (@AlexBurchinal) December 16, 2023
TROJANS LOVE THIS
Welcome to the Trojan Family @Doug_Belk ✌🏾 https://t.co/grdljyFXB0 pic.twitter.com/Ie4tyUP2sw
— Keary Colbert (@kearycolbert) December 16, 2023
BACKING UP THE TALK
Lincoln Riley said he would do everything at #USC with a defense-first mentality. So far he's…
Hired D'Anton Lynn away from UCLA✅
Hired NDSU HC Matt Entz to be the new LB coach✅
Hired Houston's DC Doug Belk to be the new CB coach✅#WhoIsnext👀 pic.twitter.com/Rlz0RRYa0I— Marc Kulkin (@MarcKulkin) December 17, 2023
HIRING THE HIGH RISERS IN THE INDUSTRY
USC's defensive staff now includes DC (D'Anton Lynn) who people expect to get HC opportunities, a LBs coach (Matt Entz) who was FCS HC looking for step up and a DBs coach (Doug Belk) who was a DC mentioned as someone expected to get HC opportunities in future.
Not too shabby.
— Alicia de Artola Castillo (@PenguinOfTroy) December 16, 2023
100 PERCENT
In announcing the hire of Doug Belk as their new DB coach, USC now has *3* strong defensive coordinators on their staff. Any one of them could be the actual DC– they are that good.
This is one of the most impressive coaching upgrades on one side of the ball you'll ever see.
— RichSC (@OriginalRichSC) December 16, 2023
ENTHUSIASM
Welcome to the Trojan Family
Coach Doug Belk⚔️
Fight On!✌️
credit: @CoachAFlo pic.twitter.com/zXxrxbq8qm
— Trojan Football (@TrojanFBx) December 17, 2023
SABAN ROOTS AND TIES
SOURCE: USC is expected to hire Doug Belk as secondary coach. The 36-year-old Belk, a former GA for Nick Saban at Alabama, had been Houston’s defensive coordinator the last three years and was a Broyles semifinalist in 2021. @MZenitz first reported the move.
— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) December 16, 2023
ELITE STAFFING -- FINALLY!
Lynn is hiring a very much not soft all star staff, I fear Lincoln might’ve hit a homerun.
Things could still be rough year one as the talent level sucks but they’re hiring an absolute all star team staff. https://t.co/b9E3aOl7wI
— Athletic Director at THE Bishop Sycamore (@simpfortyrie) December 16, 2023
REAL RESULTS
That's a great hire for USC, Belk is an up and coming great defensive mind. Called Houston Games in 2021 and 22 and he had that Houston defense humming https://t.co/bfyz8iVY0d
— Leger Douzable (@LegerDouzable) December 16, 2023
LESSONS LEARNED BY LINCOLN
Staff getting right https://t.co/IjwsSCt5Ym
— CK 10 (@Katdaddy23) December 16, 2023
BELK DEVELOPED D-LINEMEN, NOT JUST DEFENSIVE BACKS
USC has confirmed current Houston DC Doug Belk has been hired as the program's new secondary coach, replacing Donte Williams (former DBs coach). Comes from the Saban tree at Alabama and has led a really strong D-line at Houston.
— Luca Evans (@bylucaevans) December 16, 2023
ADJUSTMENTS
Lincoln Riley took plenty of heat for his handling of USC's defense last year. He made clear in offseason that first priority was playing great defense.
He's now hired 3 collegiate coordinators (D'Anton Lynn, Matt Entz, Belk) to USC's defensive staff in the span of two weeks. https://t.co/LfYBifrFmn
— Luca Evans (@bylucaevans) December 16, 2023
OUR ANALYSIS OF WHY DONTE WILLIAMS FAILED AT USC
Domani Jackson departure occurs right after Donte Williams' move to Georgia https://t.co/AUpV0eoxXT pic.twitter.com/yXVwjY8EYz
— USC Trojans Wire (@TrojansWire) December 19, 2023
ALIGNMENT
An ace recruiter such as Donte Williams belongs on a staff with elite player developers. At USC, Williams had Alex Grinch as his defensive coordinator. That was obviously a mismatched pairing. Now USC has player developers and proven tacticians on staff. Doug Belk is a quality player developer, but if he can be the ace recruiter on staff, that frees up D’Anton Lynn and Matt Entz to do more work as coaches on the practice field. USC now has a much better alignment of its defensive staff.
HELPING D'ANTON LYNN
D’Anton Lynn is a quality coach, but he’s still just 34 years old. He can use seasoned voices. Matt Entz is one. Doug Belk is another. This is part of a genuine transformation in USC’s coaching staff and Lincoln Riley’s approach. Mature, informed voices will be in the room, and the defensive coordinator will have more support from others on staff. That’s important.
