USC Trojans Hire Another Notre Dame Staffer: Director of Player Personnel Zaire Turner

The USC Trojans continue to make moves in revamping their front office staff. Less than a week after the Trojans hired away Notre Dame's general manager Chad Bowden to the same role with USC, another member of the Fighting Irish's support staff joins the program in an off-the-field role.
According to a report from John Brice of FootballScoop, Bowden has made his first hire among his support staff and plucked Notre Dame's Director of Player Personal Zaire Turner away from the national title runner-ups.
Sources: Chad Bowden, USC nabbing Zaire Turner away from Notre Dame https://t.co/2VKSDTDz2h via @JohnDBrice1
— FootballScoop (@FootballScoop) January 30, 2025
Turner was a key figure alongside Bowden in the behind the scenes work at Notre Dame. Prior to this season, she was the Director of Recruiting Operations for the Fighting Irish over the previous two years. From 2018 to 2020, Turner was the Recruiting and Operations Coordinator at Virginia Tech. During her time as a student at Texas Tech, she spent three years as a recruiting assistant for the Red Raiders.
While at Notre Dame, Turner had the opportunity to do a bit of in-person recruiting this past month as the recruiting period opened in early January for in-person visits with 2026-27 prospects. With Notre Dame in the midst of their College Football Playoff run, Turner was sent out to go recruit for the Irish.
Despite being the DPP at Notre Dame, Turner is expected to hold a diffent title with USC, but still be in a similar role. USC currently has a Director of Player Personnel in Weston Zernechel, but has an opening in a major role in the support staff after former executive director of football recruiting Annie Hanson announced her departure from the program.
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Please welcome Chad Bowden as our general manager ✌️ pic.twitter.com/HeUk18gMki
— USC Football ✌️ (@uscfb) January 25, 2025
After going 7-6 in year three of the Lincoln Riley tenure at USC, the program has invested significant amounts of money over this offseason to coaching and staff moves.
Not only have the Trojans brought aboard Bowden and Turner to lead a new and improved front office staff, but Riley has also made impactful moves in on-the-field coaching roles. Riley hired Rob Ryan to replace former linebackers coach Matt Entz, who departed to become the head coach at Fresno State.
USC also made a key move for Trovon Reed, the team's new cornerbacks coach. Reed is known as one of the best recruiters in country. On the offensive side of the ball, Riley hired Chad Savage to become the new tight ends coach, replacing Zack Hanson, who got promoted to offensive line coach after Josh Henson left to become the offensive coordinator at Purdue. With ties to the Southern California area, Savage is expected to boost recruiting efforts in the area.
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