USC AD Lynn Swann: 'The expectation is we’re going to win the Pac-12 championship'

USC AD Lynn Swann says he's communicated his expectations for the 2019 season to Clay Helton and they haven't changed: win the Pac-12.

New stadium, new season, new team?

USC athletic director Lynn Swann believes so. And he says the 2019 Trojans will be held to the same standard as those before them, despite coming off a 5-7 mark that amounted to the largest year-to-year dropoff in wins in the history of the program.

“The expectations are always the same, they never change," Swann, in his first comments to the general media since choosing to retain Clay Helton following the 2018 season, said Thursday morning at the Coliseum ribbon cutting ceremony. "The expectation is we’re going to win the Pac-12 championship. If we want to be in the picture in the conversation about a national championship, on the national scene, that’s where it starts.

"We’re not going to get there if we don’t win our own conference. And so we’re going to make that step and move it forward that way. Clay knows that. Clay knows that’s always the first goal. And we move it forward from that point. And (we’re) giving him the ability to do it."

Swann characterized the offseason as an opportunity to "get the right tools in the toolbox." Asked if he'd indeed done that, Swann pointed to there being 18 new members on the football staff. Asked specifically what sort of confidence he has in Helton, Swann again pointed to the group at large."Confidence in everybody who’s out there," Swann responded.

"Clay’s not going to do it by himself. He's got a great coaching staff, people he feels comfortable with. And they’ve got to give the kids a great game plan and give them the confidence, give them the tools to be able to go out and execute and play great football. So we’re looking forward to it."