USC’s defensive coordinator vacancy lingered longer than Lincoln Riley would have preferred. Nearly a month after D’Anton Lynn left Los Angeles to take the same job at Penn State, the Trojans were still searching for answers on the defensive side. But now, it appears like they’ve fixed that concern with the solution being Gary Patterson.

“NEW: USC is expected to hire former TCU head coach Gary Patterson as its next defensive coordinator, @Clowfb, @Brett_McMurphy & @PeteNakos report✌️” On3 reported on January 21.

Gary Patterson emerged as the clear frontrunner to the point that USC informed other candidates that the search was moving in a different direction.

Earlier this month, Gary Patterson was named to the College Football Hall of Fame. That honor, significant on its own, may end up being overshadowed by a return to a hands-on defensive role at a program desperate for credibility on that side of the ball. USC’s defense was inconsistent in 2025, and Lincoln Riley’s need for experience, structure, and authority became impossible to ignore. Gary Patterson brings all three.

Before his 21-year run as TCU’s head coach, he was a DC by trade, with prior stops at New Mexico, Navy, Utah State, and Tennessee Tech. At TCU, he built defenses that traveled across conferences and eras. His teams won six conference championships, and he guided the program from Conference USA to the Mountain West and eventually the Big 12 without losing national relevance.

Gary Patterson went 181-79 at TCU, produced 11 final AP Top 25 finishes, seven top-10 rankings, and reached as high as No. 2 in 2010 and No. 3 in 2014. His best teams won the 2010 Rose Bowl and the 2014 Peach Bowl. He was also fired midway through the 2021 season after a 3-5 start, a reminder that longevity does not protect anyone in modern college football.

Since then, Gary Patterson has stayed connected to the game through off-field roles at Texas and Baylor. He turns 66 next month, but this hire is not about age or reinvention. It is about trust. Lincoln Riley and Patterson developed a working relationship at Oklahoma. The numbers underline the urgency.

USC ranked 49th nationally in total defense in 2025, allowing 350.8 yards per game. The Trojans tied for 48th in turnovers forced with just 18.  They’re projected No. 12 in USA TODAY’s way-too-early 2026 rankings with QB Jayden Maiava returning. Gary Patterson called defenses throughout his TCU tenure and previously served as the program’s DC from 1998 to 2000. USC will quickly find out whether those instincts remain sharp. But he’s not the only coach in the test phase.

Lincoln Riley expands the reset beyond defense

The defensive hire was not Lincoln Riley’s only response to late-season frustration. USC’s collapse in the Alamo Bowl intensified scrutiny, and the head coach moved just as decisively on special teams. He hired Mike Ekeler from Nebraska after just one season, per CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz. Before that, he came from Tennessee, making USC his third stop in three years. He was nominated for the Broyles Award this past season and is widely regarded as an elite technician in his field.

USC’s special teams performance made the decision unavoidable. The Trojans finished second-worst in the Big Ten in kick return average at 16.7 yards, produced the worst long return at 25 yards, and totaled just 89 punt return yards all season, ranking fifth-worst in the conference. Momentum-swinging plays told the story. A 100-yard kickoff return by Notre Dame’s Jadarian Price and an 85-yard punt return by Oregon’s Malik Benson changed games USC never recovered from.

Mike Ekeler brings familiarity as well. He coached LBs at USC in 2013 and has defensive experience dating back to his Nebraska tenure from 2008 to 2010. Taken together, these hires show that Lincoln Riley is chasing reliability rather than innovation right now.

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