USC Fires Defensive Coordinator Alex Grinch After Giving Up 52 Points in Loss to Washington

The program parted ways with its defensive play-caller a day after the Trojans’ loss to the Huskies.

USC has fired defensive coordinator Alex Grinch, head coach Lincoln Riley announced on Sunday.

Trojans defensive line coach Shaun Nua and inside linebackers coach Brian Odom will serve as USC’s co-defensive coordinators for the remainder of the season. In addition to the change of duties for Nua and Odom, defensive analyst Taylor Mays will serve as an on-field assistant coach along with working with the team’s safeties.

Grinch’s departure comes nearly a day after No. 20 USC suffered a 52–42 loss to No. 5 Washington (9–0, 6–0) and allowed the Huskies a total of 572 yards of offense which included 256 from Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. Prior to the Trojans’ loss on Saturday, USC had given up 213 points in its past five games, the most of any five-game span in program history, per Sports Illustrated’s Pat Forde.

Saturday’s contest also marked the fourth time in six weeks that the Trojans gave up 40 or more points to an opponent. In the postgame news conference after Saturday’s Pac-12 clash, Riley dodged a question from reporters on the status of his longstanding defensive coordinator, with whom he worked for the past five seasons.

As noted in the Dash last week, the 213 points USC had given up in its five previous games was the most in a five-game stretch in school history. Then Washington put 52 on the Trojans Saturday night.

— Pat Forde (@ByPatForde) November 5, 2023

“I’m not into the big-picture questions right now,” Riley said. “My job is to go try to beat Oregon next week and to coach what we have here.”

USC (7–3, 5–2) registered its second Pac-12 loss and the third of its last four contests. The Trojans will seek to rebound in a road matchup next Saturday against No. 6 Oregon (5–1, 8–1).