Lincoln Riley names his full USC coaching staff

Published Jan. 10, 2022 2:48 p.m. ET

Associated Press

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Southern California coach Lincoln Riley has confirmed his full coaching staff for his debut season with the Trojans.

Riley on Monday formally named a 10-man staff that includes Donte Williams. He will be Riley's defensive backs coach and defensive passing game coordinator after going 3-7 while serving as USC's interim head coach following the firing of Clay Helton in September.

Riley's new staff is headlined by Alex Grinch, his defensive coordinator and safeties coach. Grinch followed Riley from Oklahoma last month, taking the same private plane to Los Angeles after three seasons together with the Sooners.

Josh Henson is the Trojans' new offensive coordinator and offensive line coach, leaving Texas A&M. Dennis Simmons is Riley's assistant head coach and outside wide receivers coach, while Dave Nichol is the inside wide receivers coach.

Kiel McDonald left Utah to become USC's running backs coach. Tight ends coach Zach Hanson was a graduate assistant at Oklahoma in 2019 before spending the past two seasons at Tulsa.

USC defensive line coach Shaun Nua spent the past three seasons in the same job at Michigan, while outside linebackers coach Roy Manning was on Riley's staff at Oklahoma. Brian Odom is the Trojans' new inside linebackers coach.

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