The USC Trojans are still looking for a way to compete in the Big Ten. Their second season in the conference was a little better. In 2024, the Trojans finished 4-5 in the conference. This season, USC finished 7-2 in the Big Ten, although the schedule was fairly easy.
Lincoln Riley is starting to take some heat from Trojans fans. They finished 9-4 this year, nowhere close to competing for a spot in the College Football Playoff. Once again, their defense was a major problem. Yet, they had one of the top defensive coordinators in the country.
D’Anton Lynn decided to head to Penn State in order to join Matt Campbell and his staff with the Nittany Lions. Riley decided to fill that vacant spot with a former head coach who coached for a national title just a few years ago.
GettyTCU head coach Gary Patterson walks onto the field. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)
USC Trojans Bring in Gary Patterson to be the Defensive Coordinator
Patterson has officially become the new defensive coordinator for the Trojans. Patterson was last in a true coaching role back in 2021. He coached TCU for over 20 years as the head coach before leaving the Horned Frogs in 2021. He has since been a consultant for both Texas and Baylor.
Bringing Patterson back to his roots is an interesting decision for the Trojans. Patterson was a defensive coach before he became the head coach of the Horned Frogs. He seems to have decided that he doesn’t want to deal with NIL and the circus that a college head coach has to deal with.
For the Trojans, this is a great hire. USC had the 51st-ranked scoring defense last season. It’s clear that side of the ball needs to make a massive improvement if they are going to have a shot at competing for a Big Ten Championship and a spot in the 12-team CFP.
GettyUSC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley looks on. (Photo by Kenneth Richmond/Getty Images)
The USC Trojans Are Under a Massive Amount of Pressure in 2026
Hiring Patterson is great for the short-term future of the program. The USC Trojans are under an enormous amount of pressure to perform at a high level in 2026. Riley’s seat is starting to get very toasty, and USC needs to be one of the top teams in the conference to cool it down.
USC has a brutal schedule next season. They will play defending national champion Indiana on the road, and they will take on Penn State on the road, as well. USC will also host Ohio State and Oregon, two other teams that made the College Football Playoff this year.
Riley is hoping that Patterson is the missing piece for the Trojans moving forward. TCU always had a solid defense while Patterson was coaching for them. USC wants the same sort of defensive prowess for the next couple of years so they can finally break through in the Big Ten.
The Trojans will be a top-20 team in the preseason polls when August rolls around.
USC Trojans Tab Former TCU Head Coach as new Defensive Coordinator