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Major questions still loom regarding USC vacant defensive coordinator position

January 5, 2026
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USC Football breaks it off to start the day during spring practice on April 1, 2025 at Howard Jones Field in Los Angeles, CA.
USC Football breaks it off to start the day during spring practice on April 1, 2025 at Howard Jones Field in Los Angeles, CA.

LOS ANGELES — Following the departure of second-year defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn to his alma mater, Penn State, in the middle of December, USC’s offseason will now consist of one constant question waiting to be answered: Who will lead the Trojans on the defensive coaching front? 

A plethora of names have emerged in the hunt for the newest Trojans defensive coordinator, most notably, former Texas Longhorns defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski. However, with recent news breaking, according to Bruce Feldman of The Athletic, Kwiatkowski has emerged as a “strong” candidate for the Stanford Cardinals’ defensive coordinator job, which is now putting a damper on where USC will pivot to for its next defensive coordinator. 

Current Trojans have spoken up on social media, including freshman defensive end Jahkeem Stewart, voicing their opinions on having USC run-game coordinator and defensive line coach Eric Henderson as full-time defensive coordinator for the 2026 season. Coach Henderson had his first chops calling the shots on defense during the Alamo Bowl, which head coach Lincoln Riley commended for his effort in the postgame press conference following the overtime loss to the TCU Horned Frogs. 

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“There’s going to be a lot of interest in this job. This will be an extremely, extremely coveted job,” Riley said after the Alamo Bowl regarding the vacant defensive coordinator job. “I can already tell by the nature of what my phone has been like the last couple of days.”

Now obviously, with such a delicate position up for grabs, heading into a gauntlet that is the Trojans’ 2026 schedule, would USC pull the trigger and put their chips on coach Henderson as a first-time defensive coordinator next season? Well, it wouldn’t be fair to make such an arduous decision without laying out another potential option USC has in its sights. 

One name that sticks out to many is Cincinnati Bengals defensive coordinator Al Golden. The 56-year-old coordinator worked closely with current Trojans’ general manager Chad Bowden during their time at Notre Dame, which has been hinted at as the selling point for Golden to move out west and reunite once more with Bowden. 

The exact temperature of Golden heading down to Southern California is largely unknown, especially with his first stint as the defensive coordinator for the Bengals concluding. Despite what the NFL numbers showcased in 2025, Golden has shown up at the collegiate level and could be a difference maker leading the Trojans’ defense. 

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