USC AD Reveals Why Donte Williams Was Named Interim HC Over Coordinators

CB coach Donte Williams was promoted over defensive coordinator Todd Orlando and offensive coordinator Graham Harrell, here's why.

USC athletic director Mike Bohn addressed the media following the Trojans' Tuesday practice. Bohn spoke about his decision to fire Clay Helton, and why he chose Williams as the temporary successor for the remainder of the 2021 season. 

“I just don’t think we had that same sense of belief that with all the resources and the commitment that we put together that we could really aspire to those national championship aspirations that we talk about all the time,” Bohn said of Clay Helton's firing. “It just felt like the right time. There’s a sense of knowing when to play things a certain way and just having that gut feeling. I think that we have the right one.”

Typically, when a head coach gets fired you often see the offensive or defensive coordinator setup as interim head coach. However, Bohn believes Williams was the best fit because of his strong recruiting ties and leadership capabilities.

"Donte is a relationship guy. I really believe that our talented coordinators need to coordinate, and do a great job so that they can focus on the important roles that they have," said Bohn. "Donte has recruited a number of these players, and some of the other players that he recruited from other institutions where he was and came to USC, so he knows them, he knows their families, he has great relationships with them," Bohn said. 

"He is a leader. We wanted our coordinators to coordinate and go a great job, and we really wanted to ensure that our special teams coordinator can lock in on that so we are fundamentally sound and prepared for good solid football."

Despite making a drastic change, Bohn still has high aspirations for the remainder of USC's 2021 season. 

"Our expectation is that we are going to go out and play with a 'Fight On' mentality every single day," said Bohn. "We still expect to compete for a championship."

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