Lincoln Riley’s USC Trojans went 9-4 in 2025, but the real turbulence hit after the final whistle. Defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn packed his bags, and the dominoes haven’t stopped tipping. Now the Trojans’ defensive backs coach is gone too, leaving the secondary scrambling for the 2026 season.

“It’s confirmed Secondary Coach Doug Belk will not return to USC in 2026,” reported the Trojan Football page on January 20. “@USCJ32 had it first. It’s speculation that the new defensive coordinator will either bring in his own staff or will oversee the position group himself.”

Back in December 2023, Riley made a savvy move, plucking Doug Belk (December 16) from Houston to replace Donte Williams as USC’s secondary coach. Belk wasted no time turning heads, quickly finding his footing as one of the fastest-rising names in college football coaching.

The results were immediate. In Belk’s first season on campus in 2024, Riley’s defense took a massive leap forward. The Trojans slashed their points allowed from 34.4 per game in 2023 to just 24.1, finishing the year ranked No. 21 nationally. Even more telling, USC soared to No. 2 in the Big Ten in third-down defense (33.5%), a night-and-day turnaround from their No. 106 ranking the year prior.

With Belk’s help, in his first season at USC, Riley and Co. hauled in a strong 2025 defensive back class featuring Trestin Castro, Alex Graham, Kendarius Reddick, and Stephen Miller, laying the foundation for what was next.

This past cycle, Riley’s staff, led by Belk and joined by Trovon Reed, took it up another notch, signing one of the most impressive defensive back classes USC has landed in years. 

The 2026 haul arriving next features Elbert Hill, Brandon Lockhart, Madden Riordan, Peyton Dyer, Jayden Crowder, and Josh Holland, a group built on both national reach and long-term upside.

Belk flipped the script last year, locking in a focused push to own Southern California’s top defensive back talent. The strategy paid off, and it’s why USC’s secondary now looks like a strength rather than a question mark.

With the transfer portal just ending, Riley might have thought of taking a breather. But he will now have to hit the market to fill the void in his defensive staff now that Lynn has found his next home.

Lincoln Riley eyes a defensive heavyweight

This time last year, Lynn flirted with a homecoming, turning down the chance to leave USC and run the defense at his alma mater, Penn State. Riley responded by dishing out a hefty raise. Fast forward less than a year, and with a similar offer back on the table, Lynn has flipped the script and chosen a different path.

He walked into a defensive mess at USC and walked out with results. Riley’s unit went from bleeding points under Alex Grinch to holding opponents 10 points lower per game, climbing from 121st to 56th nationally. The run defense tightened up by nearly 50 yards per game, and tackling took a major step forward with three fewer misses each outing.

Top Stories

Baker Mayfield Airs Dirty Laundry With Kevin Stefanski After Former HC Lost Faith in QB

Carl Edwards’ Iconic Car Set to Return at Daytona 500 with Brad Keselowski’s RFK

Chiefs Receive Significant Travis Kelce Retirement Update Amid Eric Bieniemy’s Return

Hailie Deegan Teases Major Career-Turning Announcement After Securing Full-Time Racing Deal

Bills QB Bids Emotional Farewell to Sean McDermott as Josh Allen Reportedly Makes Replacement Choice Clear

Tony Stewart’s Long-Awaited NASCAR Return Backfires as Daytona Entry Draws Harsh Reality Check

Riley is rumored to be eyeing a heavyweight addition, with Gary Patterson emerging as a top target. A first-ballot Hall of Famer and TCU’s winningest coach ever, Patterson spent 21 years leading the Horned Frogs after starting out as a defensive coordinator.

The coach compiled a 181-79 record and shepherded the program from Conference USA through the Mountain West and into the Big 12. Doug Belk’s replacement is still to be decided, but Lincoln Riley has already bolstered the staff with Nebraska special teams coach Mike Ekeler.