'No Brainer!' Ex Rams Coach Eric Henderson Reveals Why He Left For USC Job

Former Rams assistant Eric Henderson spoke to the media on Thursday, revealing why exactly he left for the co-defensive coordiantor job at USC.

Matt Galatzan | Feb 16, 2024

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Los Angeles Rams

After finishing with a disappointing 8-5 record last season, the USC Trojans and head coach Lincoln Riley began to assemble a new coaching staff, specifically on the defensive side of the ball.

That project eventually led them to Los Angeles Rams defensive line coach Eric Henderson, who joined the Trojans as the team's new co-defensive coordinator/defensive line coach under D'Anton Lynn.

And when meeting with the USC media on Thursday, Henderson revealed exactly what lured him from the NFL to the Trojans this offseason.

USATSI_14870164 — Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

"It was a no-brainer for me. ... It just made sense," Henderson said. “It’s natural for me. I love meeting people. I wanted, quote-unquote, all the smoke when you talk about going back to college to get involved in the recruiting process.”

Henderson was a a key figure for the Rams' during his time in L.A., helping the team to a Super Bowl win in 2021, and helping create a solid unit around future Hall of Famer Aaron Donald.

This season, he helped mold rookie defensive tackle Kobie Turner into a defensive rookie of the year candidate. Meanwhile, fellow rookie Byron Young also had a breakout season rushing the passer, with the two combining for 17 sacks.

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Henderson will have a bigger role at USC than he did with the Rams alongside Lynn, who is also a new acquisition for the Trojans from UCLA.

And he aims to bring a new 'D.A.W.G. mentality to the Trojans defensive line - which for Henderson, stands for discipline, attitude, work ethic, and grit.

“Being obsessed with greatness, approach, attacking that with a relentless mind-set, and then having that killer instinct about you,” Henderson said. “I think that’s everything we want to stand for, and I’m extremely excited to see how these guys live that out.”

Published Feb 16, 2024

MATT GALATZAN

Matt Galatzan the Editor-In-Chief of RamDigest.com. Galatzan graduated from the University of Mississippi, where he studied integrated marketing communications, with minors in journalism and business administration. Galatzan started in the sports journalism industry under Mike Fisher at DallasBasketball.com in 2014, which at the time was part of the 247Sports network. He also spent two years covering the SMU Mustangs for PonyStampede.com on the 247Sports network. When DallasBasketball.com and CowboysCountry.com moved over to Sports Illustrated's Fan Nation network in 2020, Galatzan followed suit, eventually being taking over as the Managing Editor and Publisher of LonghornsCountry.com and AllAggies.com a year later. Through the years, Galatzan has conducted a handful of high-profile one-on-one interviews to add to his resume — in both writing and podcasting. Some of his biggest interviews have been with Mavs owner Mark Cuban, former Longhorns players Dan Neil and Phil Dawson, and many other recruits, and current/former players for each of the teams he has covered. Galatzan is also a full-time employee in the digital media department for Audacy and KRLD FM's 105.3 The Fan in Dallas, which is the official radio home of the Dallas Cowboys. You can find Galatzan on all major social media channels. For any inquiries, please email matt.galatzan@gmail.com