USC Football: Former Interim Head Coach A Candidate For Gig With Mountain West Program

He could soon become an in-state Trojans rival.

One-time USC Trojans interim head coach and defensive assistant Donte Williams is apparently being floated as a contender to take over the now-vacated San Jose State head coaching gig, per On3's Andy Staples.

An active coaching carousel in the Pac-12 has yielded this unique opportunity for Williams. After former Arizona Wildcats head coach Jedd Fisch departed the club to take the head gig with the Washington Huskies, now-ex San Jose State head coach Brent Brennan took over the Arizona job, creating this opening.

Williams previously spent three seasons with San Jose State, from 2013-15. He followed that up with stints at Arizona, Nebraska, Oregon, and finally USC in 2020. 

After the Trojans canned Clay Helton in 2021, Williams briefly stepped in for an interim gig, before being supplanted by pricey permanent hire Lincoln Riley. He posted a 3-5 record during his eight games in an interim role with the program.

Williams served under Riley through the 2023 season, only departing for the Georgia Bulldogs assistant gig in December.