Clay Helton's coaching future at USC still mired in scrutiny

USC coach Clay Helton looks on from the sideline during the Trojans' victory over UCLA.

Staff Writer

Nov. 24, 2019 5:11 PM PT

In the wake of rivalry victory, at the end of an uneven regular season that may very well be his last at USC, Clay Helton preferred to live in the moment, ignoring his uncertain future for as long as he could.

Soon, however, that future would beckon from across the dinner table. Hours after the Trojans took care of their crosstown rival Bruins with a 52-35 victory on Saturday, Helton had a recruiting dinner to attend, where he’d have to sell prospects on the future of USC’s football program, in spite of its uncertainty.

Even before a decision on Helton’s status seemed imminent, that pitch wasn’t going well this recruiting cycle, as USC ranks 76th in 247Sports composite rankings, just behind Bowling Green and just ahead of Texas San Antonio, the latter of which has been a part of the Football Bowl Subdivision for only six years.

Asked in his postgame news conference how he might pitch those recruits now, Helton’s voice raised to a boom.

“If you want to come and do something special, jump on the train with some damn good kid quarterbacks, some damn good skilled young kids and have a lot of fun, then come on!” he said.

“Is that good?” he said with a grin.

Whether Helton will even have a seat on the Trojans’ train next season remains to be seen, but regardless of who’s conducting, USC will have no shortage of talent when it opens the 2020 season.

Kedon Slovis, fresh off a school-record 515-yard passing performance, will be a sophomore. The backfield will be intact. Its deep receiving corps loses Michael Pittman Jr., and possibly an NFL-eligible Tyler Vaughns, but gets back everyone else, and will have a healthy Kyle Ford and an eligible Bru McCoy, both top recruits a season ago.

An offense that improved leaps and bounds over the final six weeks of this season should only be better a year from now. In its final five victories, USC’s offense averaged 523.6 yards per game, which, over a full season, would’ve ranked seventh in the nation.

“When they come together, the offense down the stretch started to play at a really high level,” offensive coordinator Graham Harrell said. “All the guys that came knew we had a special offense. A lot of it has to do with confidence. It helped to feel, as we started going down the stretch, that man, we can be unstoppable. They started to feel that.”

Pending the decision on Helton, Harrell may not have the chance to continue building on a relatively successful debut season in charge of USC’s offense. If a new coach is put in place, especially one with an offensive background, the Trojans may have to scrap the Air Raid and start anew with a different system.

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UCLA quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson (1) is shoved out of bounds by USC cornerback Olaijah Griffin (2) during first half action at the Coliseum on Saturday. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

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UCLA running back Kazmeir Allen (19) falls short of a touchdown as he is tackled by USC safety Isaiah Pola-Mao (21) during first half action at the Coliseum on Saturday. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

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USC head coach Clay Helton leads his team out of the tunnel to play UCLA at the Coliseum on Saturday. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

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UCLA wide receiver Kyle Philips (2) is tackled by USC cornerback Greg Johnson (9) during first half action at the Coliseum on Saturday. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

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USC wide receiver Drake London (15) is dragged down from behind by UCLA defensive back Stephan Blaylock after a long catch and run in the first half at the Coliseum on Saturday. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

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USC head coach Clay Helton is congratulated by Athletic Director Mike Bohn at midfield after a 52-35 win over UCLA at the Coliseum on Saturday. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

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USC running back Stephen Carr (7) scores a touchdown on a short run late in the fourth quarter against UCLA at the Coliseum on Saturday. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

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USC offensive tackle Jalen McKenzie (70) lifts running back Stephen Carr (7) after scoring a fourth quarter touchdown at the Coliseum on Saturday. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)

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USC head coach Clay Helton celebrates after a 52-35 win over UCLA at the Coliseum on Saturday. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

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USC head coach Clay Helton shares a kiss with his wife, Angela, at midfield after a 52-35 win over UCLA at the Coliseum on Saturday. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

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USC safety Talanoa Hufanga (15) celebrates after tackling UCLA quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson (1) short of a first down on a fourth down play late in the game at the Coliseum on Saturday. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

For Slovis, who finished the regular season with 3,242 yards passing and 28 touchdowns in 11 games, such a change could alter his development. A new offense could also open the door for injured quarterback JT Daniels to retake the job Slovis stepped into.

On defense and special teams, changes appear to be a foregone conclusion. Even if Helton remains the coach, defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast and special-teams coach John Baxter could be in jeopardy of losing their jobs after less-than-stellar seasons for both units.

Defensively, USC ranked sixth in the Pac-12 Conference this season in points (27.8) and yards given up (415.2). Last week, Pendergast was asked where he felt his unit improved the most over the course of the season. He pointed to the number of young players who garnered experience as the defense was overcome by injury.

“We got a lot of repetition with a lot of different players at all three levels,” Pendergast said. “As of late, the continuity of the same guys playing has really helped us play a little better.”

Those same guys will return a year older next season, giving USC one of its most talented rosters this decade.

The only question now is who’ll be leading them.