Lincoln Riley declines to answer why D'Anton Lynn did not call USC defense in Alamo Bowl

It was a new look for the USC Trojans on the defensive side of the ball in their Alamo Bowl loss to TCU. Shortly before the game, it was reported that head coach Lincoln Riley would have Eric Henderson call plays on the defensive side of the ball, rather than defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn.

This decision came amid reports that Penn State is working to hire Lynn as its defensive coordinator, his alma mater. Naturally, Riley was asked about it after the game. However, while he was quick to praise Henderson, he chose not to share any details on the decision itself or where the situation stands with Lynn.

“Yeah, Henny did a great job,” Riley said. “That staff really rallied around him and there was a lot of energy with the guys. The other part of it I’m not gonna share details on.”

In the Alamo Bowl, USC gave up 30 points, six of which came in overtime. The Trojans also allowed 375 total yards. That’s in a season where USC allowed an average of 350.8 total yards and 23 points per game. Those marks were good for 50th and 51st nationally.

The Lynn situation has been an ongoing one for Riley to navigate. He had previously addressed the situation, noting at the time that USC was trying to retain him as its defensive coordinator.

“No, I don’t have an update. This is just what happens this time of year, especially when you have a really good staff and are doing a lot of really positive things. This is part of what happens. So, we’ve seen it, we understand it. We’ll obviously see how it plays out,” Riley said before the Alamo Bowl.

“We’ve put ourselves in position here, where, we’re excited about the opportunity to keep continuity and continue to build. But we’re, honestly, at that point where — no just that position, any position — if there is turnover, these are really coveted jobs. This job is, frankly, different than it was four years ago. And it’s a lot different than it was two years ago for any job, not just that job. It’s just part of the world we live in and hopefully we can keep as much continuity as we can but if we have to make any replacements, then we’re going to try to do what we’ve done. Do it at a high level and find ways to make our program even better.”

D’Anton Lynn was a Penn State defensive back under Joe Paterno. In 2014, he began his coaching career and in 2023, he got his first job as a defensive coordinator, first at UCLA and later at USC. In two seasons with the Trojans, Lynn was seen as a key coach, helping to turn the tide for USC on that side of the ball. In 2023, prior to joining the program, USC was 121st nationally in scoring defense, giving up 34.4 points per game.

All of this comes as Penn State is undergoing a major coaching staff shakeup. The previous defensive coordinator, Jim Knowles, is now at Tennessee. However, while at Penn State, he was making $3.1 annually. Penn State is also reportedly committing $17 million to its assistant staff salary pool.

Lincoln Riley and USC will now be looking ahead to finding a new defensive coordinator next season. Eric Henderson has already been their co-defensive coordinator, defensive line coach, and run game coordinator, prior to adding play-calling duties in the Alamo Bowl.