USC defensive coordinator search was a wild ride — and similar to 2021 head coaching search
The USC head coaching search of 2021, if you remember it, was a wild ride. Roughly 48 hours before Lincoln Riley was announced as the Trojans’ new head coach, the industry speculation centered around Iowa State’s Matt Campbell as the guy who was closing in on becoming USC’s head coach. That turned out to be a smokescreen, as did the rumors that Lincoln Riley might be interested in the LSU job.
This year, Jen Cohen referred to Saturday’s conference championship games as a possible factor in USC’s defensive coordinator search. That comment turned out to be a smokescreen, since USC hired its man — D’Anton Lynn of UCLA — on Friday night, before Saturday’s college football games.
If Matt Campbell was the hot name late in the 2021 head coaching search, 2023 featured Nebraska’s Tony White as the hot name late in the process.
Campbell and White were smokescreens for the moves USC eventually made.
Let’s remember the Tony White speculation as one of the central markers of a wild USC defensive coordinator search in 2023:
WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN
Waiting to confirm, but IF Tony White becomes the new #USC defensive coordinator, that is a really solid hire.@USC_LAFB | @LAFBNetwork | #FightOn
— Ryan Dyrud (@RyanDyrudLAFB) November 30, 2023
THURSDAY SEEMS A LONG TIME AGO
Nebraska DC Tony White looks to be trending towards USC.
Defensively, Nebraska was #9 in Yards Per Play & #14 in Total Defense.
Only Three teams scored over 20 Points vs the Cornhuskers this season:
Colorado (36)
Michigan (45)
Wisconsin (24)Look for these numbers to… pic.twitter.com/HhwlkrGFDq
— College Football Report (@CFBRep) November 30, 2023
WAS NOT A DONE DEAL
I'm hearing Tony White, Nebraska DC, as the new USC defensive coordinator.
Really solid hire, Trojan fans should like it.— Joe Arrigo (@joearrigofsm) November 30, 2023
GUYS GOT A LITTLE EXCITED BEFORE THE FACT
USC FANS
TONY WHITE
STAND UP MAN ✌️ https://t.co/wz1e05ekpi
— EL CHICANO (@ELChicanoUSC) November 30, 2023
WE WONDERED WHAT CORNHUSKERS WIRE WAS HEARING
@CornhuskersWire Hearing lots of Tony White chatter over here at USC. Don't know if it has legs, but it's prevalent right now.
— Matt Zemek (@MattZemek) November 30, 2023
TONY WHITE IS GOOD
Nebraska had the #5 rushing defense in YPC allowed and the #12 passing defense in YPA https://t.co/TCb991uQi7
— Austin 🦆 (@deviousduck_) November 30, 2023
EVERYONE WILL COMPARE TONY WHITE TO D'ANTON LYNN NOW
If Tony White is the choice, that’s a pretty solid get for SC.
Good DC with strong West Coast ties. https://t.co/lHb6q9DWS9
— JNav (@jnavla) November 30, 2023