He remained on USC's staff from 2011 to '15, twice serving as an interim head coach after replacing Kiffin and Steve Sarkisian, who was fired after taking a leave of absence in October 2015. . Helton later released a statement regarding his firing: Thank you Trojan Family. Despite outgaining the Cardinal 408-375, the Trojans gave up five touchdowns in 10 drives and a 31-yard interception return for touchdown. I have total faith in the men that are in there, players, coaches. The Admissions Committee considers these evaluations alongside the other components of an applicants file, but only students whose applications demonstrate their ability to succeed in the academic and residential components of the Yale experience are admitted. Helton posted a 46-24 record in parts of nine seasons with the program. Helton went 46-24 during his improbable tenure in charge of a longtime West Coast college football powerhouse with 11 national championships. We appreciate that Jason led us through those challenging circumstances, Bohn said in his statement. Learn how your comment data is processed. Warmer storms could cause problems, Here are 13 candidates to replace Clay Helton as USCs permanent head football coach, Plaschke: Get it right this time, USC. USC athletic director Mike Bohn, who is a former college baseball player, told players and staff during Mondays meeting that he and associate athletic director Lindsay Jaffe would lead a national search to find the next coach. Over that miserable stretch, USC made just a single NCAA regional (2015) while cycling through coaches who combined to produce just two winning seasons. Last year, he was brought on as a technical adviser for United Womens Soccers Santa Clarita Blue Heat. The student was admitted to the university on a partialscholarship in the spring of 2015 and was added to the tennis team's roster. According to his LinkedIn account, Khosroshahin is the owner of the Newport Futbol Club of the United Premier Soccer League. According to the indictment, Heinel received more than $1.3 million in bribe payments to fabricate the athletic credentials of more than two dozen students seeking admission to USC between 2014 and 2018. Thats a special place to be.. The same parents also donated $200,000 to the Key Worldwide Foundation, a charity in Newport Beach set up by William Rick Singer who was part of the scheme, according to prosecutors. The University of Texas at Austin said it has fired men's tennis coach Michael Center after they learned about his charges in connection with the college admissions cheating scandal. "If the facts alleged are true, they represent a grave departure from the ethical standards we set for ourselves and the people who work here.". Helton was under contract until 2023. Stanford head sailing coach John Vandemoer pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston Tuesday, admitting that he conspired with Singer to pretend two prospective students were competitive sailors in exchange for payments to the Stanford sailing program. Ever seen what a generic Stepford Wives layout that erector set campus looks like? ", She added, "It is immensely disappointing that individuals would abuse their position at the university in this way. He fired Helton, setting his sights on restoring something more elusive than sincerity. 4 seed and their fourth-straight, first-round bye, the league's second-longest active . But Heinel presented their daughter as a prospective member of USCs womens crew team in a meeting with the universitys subcommittee for athletic admissions later that fall. I have total faith in this staff. The university confirmed in a statement that Vandemoer, who has coached sailing at Standford since 2009 and previously held the head job at the U.S. LOS ANGELES Southern California fired football coach Clay Helton on Monday, two games into his seventh season in charge. Dan Hubbs, Cruz's associate head coach, was promoted and lasted seven years. Championships, Helton said earlier this summer. September 13, 2021 5:45 pm ET. 7 USC Mens Tennis Fights Back To Top No. Ferguson, the womens volleyball coach for the Demon Deacons, was put on administrative leave. USC baseball coach Jason Gill during a game in 2021. Horder got off to a lighting fast start for Tech on Monday, as the German fired three straight birdies and four in . The problem officials say the students were NOT recruited athletes and the coaches and other USC officials LIED in exchange for big money donations to USC and other payments. I understand Im not a flashy name.. Helton went 46-24 at USC, a .657 winning percentage. 3:01 PM PT --USC has fired water polo coach Jovan Vavic and Senior Associate AD Donna Heinel. USC then went outside to hire Jason Gill from Loyola Marymount. Center, who has been at the university since 2000, allegedly accepted a $100,000 bribe in exchange for designating a prospective student as a tennis recruit. #FightOn pic.twitter.com/xChL8xi0oG. Khosroshahin coached the Trojans from 2007 to 2013, guiding the Trojans to the NCAA title in his first season. Nothing surprises me during the Lynn Swann administration. USC fired Clay Helton and named Donte Williams its interim football coach Monday, making him the first Black coach in school history. Shortly after, the announcement went out: Helton and USC were parting ways. - As if in a classic Wimbledon duel, fired women's tennis coach Tony Minnis and LSU are in the midst of a tiebreaker. The indictment alleged Vavic received bribe payments that totaled $250,000 in exchange for designating two students as recruits for the water polo team, assisting with their admission to the school. He joined The Times after six years with the Southern California News Group. The former Trojans coach tells his side of the story for the first time. He also made donations of $200,000 to Singers non-profit, which helped build the admissions profiles and facilitated payments to Heinel and USC as part of the scam. Alabama finished the 2022 season with an 11-2 record. In April 2016, Giannulli and Laughlin expressed concerns about their older daughters academic qualifications for USC after meeting with a college counselor, as detailed in a 204-page federal complaint. Naval Academy, has been fired, saying that his "alleged behavior runs completely counter to Stanfords values. Lu matched the best individual round of the week with a stellar 4-under 67, and Park fired an even-par 71 to earn her fourth top-10 finish of the season in a tie for fourth overall. Associate head coach Donte Williams will serve as USCs interim coach. USC Mens Tennis Coach Peter Smith Resigns. Center's teams have reached the NCAA tennis championship tournament in all 18 years of his tenure and made the final four three times: in 2006, 2008 and 2009. As I committed to upon my arrival at USC, during the past two offseasons we provided every resource necessary for our football program to compete for championships, Bohn said in a statement. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, He would never volunteer to leave. I am so appreciative for all of the hard work that our current staff and student-athletes have put into preparing for this season, and while it will be hard to not be in the fight with you, I am confident great things lie ahead, Helton said. They were charged with racketeering. Following Vavics dismissal, Casey Moon was named the interim womens water polo coach and Marko Pintaric the interim mens water polo coach. He was promoted to assistant head coach and played a key role in Florida's national title-winning teams in 2006 and 2008. Former South Carolina men's basketball coach Frank Martin said he is "at peace" after being fired by the university early in the week. One of the prime coaching jobs in college football has just become available. The Trojans opened the season 11-3 but fell apart, finishing 14-25 during the remaining portion of the schedule. The alleged scheme was aimed at facilitating the admission of students into the university as recruited athletes, though many of them had falsified athletic credentials. Gill won 10 of his first 15 games as coach in 2020 before the season was canceled amid the pandemic. Since joining the Orange County Register in 2015, he has also covered Major League Baseball and UCLA athletics. He won one Pac-12 football championship and was 1-2 in bowls. Championships, Helton said earlier this summer. LOS ANGELES Southern California fired football coach Clay Helton on Monday, two games into his seventh season in charge. Send me email updates and offers from TMZ and its Affiliates. After three turbulent years atop one of college baseballs proudest programs, Jason Gill is out as USCs baseball coach. For more than six years, Helton constantly won just enough . The indictment alleges that the two accepted $350,000 in exchange for designating four prospective students as recruits. It was to be in Honolulu this week to face Hawaii on Saturday. With former New Orleans Saints coach Payton now on board, the hope for the Broncos is that the 2010 Super Bowl champion can fix Wilson, coaxing the Wisconsin product to play like the quarterback . Is it a coincidence that USC is losing established, successful coaches like Smith and beach volleyball coach Anna Collier? "As the federal charging document makes clear, the Department of Justice believes that Yales Office of Undergraduate Admissions has been the victim of a crime perpetrated by its womens soccer coach, who is no longer at the university," the university said in a statement. " Clay is one of the finest human beings I have met in this industry, and he has been a tremendous role model and mentor to our young men, Bohn said in a statement. The University of Southern California released a statement on Monday afternoon, two days after the then-14th ranked . But that virtue, unquestioned to the end, was not enough amid towering expectations. All is going according to plan to make USC the Stanford of the West. The decision was made on Monday following the Trojans' ugly home loss to Stanford on Saturday night. Its Game 2. Hes earned this opportunity.. In another instance, Singer helped the son of William McGlashan, a Bay Area private equity executive, gain admittance into the school by posing as a football player, even though he came from a high school school that did not field a football team, according to court documents. A person familiar with the situation who was not authorized to speak publicly about it told The Los Angeles Times that multiple players intended to leave if Gill remained. Its Game 2. Retired tennis legends Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf cheered on their son Jaden, 21, as he played his first University of Southern California (USC) baseball game for 2023. Helton wasn't fired simply because of a bad showing against Stanford, however; it was merely the final straw in what has been a largely frustrating period for Trojans fans. He is accused of accepting $200,000 to help get one female student and one male student admitted to the university in 2016 and 2018, respectively. Joey Kaufman is the USC beat writer for the Southern California News Group. I love USC, because you know what the standard is? 1 . South Carolina basketball coaching history. Oregon and USC were the Pac-12 schools to garner top recognition as having the best NIL programs in the conference, according to a poll conducted by Antonio Morales of The Athletic.. Two Pac-12 . The career assistant coach twice took over as USCs interim head coach before permanently getting his first head coaching job late in the 2015 season. Helton still had two years remaining on his contract, which was extended after he led USC to his only Pac-12 championship, in 2017. It appears Bohn's patience and support ran out after Helton's latest loss. It was the same language Bohn and USC president Carol Folt would use years later to describe an ideal steward for USC athletics. It is already evident that, despite the enhancements, those expectations would not be met without a change in leadership.. But a year later, it appeared theyd done little to change USCs fortunes on the football field or the capabilities of its head coach. Urban Meyer has been linked to the Trojans job before, but he is in his first year as head coach of the NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars. Bohn hired successful Cincinnati coach Luke Fickell when they were both with the Bearcats, while many USC fans admire and covet Iowa States Matt Campbell. In regards to USC, officials say one of the parents involved in the scheme is Lori Loughlin -- whose daughters were allegedly recruited by USC's crew team, despite the fact they had no experience in crew. Trojan athletic director Mike Bohn announced Monday Helton has been fired. USC Trojans. The week after the loss to Stanford, at Washington State, USC quarterback Kedon Slovis went down with an injury. The university announced Tuesday afternoon that Vavic had been fired. Gators coach Billy Napier turned to Armstrong to fill the position, making him the youngest defensive coordinator in Power Five football. ATHENS, Ga. - Georgia linebacker Jamon Dumas-Johnson, the second-leading tackler for 2022 national champions, was arrested Wednesday on charges of reckless driving and racing.. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Longtime Longhorns men's tennis coach Michael Center was placed on administrative leave after he was charged withconspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest-services mail fraud. 3 USC coaches, Associate AD indicted in college, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), 3 USC coaches, Associate AD indicted in college admissions scandal; Donna Heinel, Jovan Vavic fired, Actresses Lori Loughlin, Felicity Huffman, college coaches accused in admissions bribery scheme, Southern California home sales fall to all-time low, Teacher at Irvines Beckman High School arrested after recording devices found in restroom, Final bones of 50-year-old Laguna Hills mall are coming down, Real snow falls at Disneyland not the fake soapy stuff, Killer keto? Vavic led both the mens and womens teams to NCAA titles last year, and the womens team was off to a 19-0 start this spring. Helton also had difficulty coaching against USC's rivals, going 1-3 against Notre Dame, 3-3 against Stanford and 4-1 against UCLA. Helton also served as the Trojans interim head coach for a victory in the 2013 Las Vegas Bowl when interim coach Ed Orgeron resigned after the full-time job went to Sarkisian instead of Orgeron. Outside of those three, what coaches remain? As the health crisis wiped out games on a whim in 2020 and threatened to upend the season at any moment, the Trojans managed to win their first five contests and earned a place on the fringes of the College Football Playoff semifinal conversation. Im gonna make him a kicker/punter and theyre gonna walk him through with football, Singer said in an intercepted voicemail last August, and Ill get a picture and figure out how to Photoshop and stuff, so it looks like it and the guy who runs the biggest kicking camp is a good friend, so well put a bunch of stuff about that on his profile.. A university statement said that Ernst had been placed on administrative leave and noted that he "has not been involved in the recruitment of any current players nor in the signing of any new recruits.". I have known Peter for a longtime and he is a good friend. The decision to fire the embattled coach comes in the wake of a deeply disappointing 42-28 loss to Stanford on Saturday at the Coliseum, one of the worst defeats in recent memory for the Trojans. The culture of the team was terrible. Aside from the 2016 season, Helton's Trojans never finished ranked the same or higher than they were in the preseason: MORE: USC, Mike Bohn must answer Clay Helton question sooner rather than later, In his announcement, Bohn made it clear he wants USC to compete for national championships. Thank you Trojan Family. Williams, a Los Angeles-area native and the first Black head coach in USC football history, joined the program in 2020 and has played a major role in the Trojans significant recruiting advancements over the past two cycles. Helton's tenure officially comes to an end with a 46-24 record. USC athletic director Mike Bohn said assistant head coach Donte . The career assistant coach twice took over as USCs interim head coach before permanently getting his first head coaching job late in the 2015 season. We've received your submission. Still, as fans clamored for a change, Bohn put his faith in a Helton turnaround. A lifelong South Carolina native who played for College of Charleston, Lee served as a USC assistant early in his career under then-coach and current athletic director Ray Tanner from 2003-08. He will have a very difficult time now adjusting. In one instance in December 2017, Heinel received $50,000 from the parents of a student recruited to the Trojans womens crew team with no crew experience. Juniors Hsin-Yu (Cynthia) Lu and Ashleigh Park led the way for the Ducks in the final round. In exchange for her admittance, Giannulli again sent Heinel $50,000. . We appreciate his many years of service to our university and wish him nothing but the very best.. Column: 15 minutes of fame flies by. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Finally, Helton never matched the expectations that college football at large had for the USC program. I just think they need some direction on how to do that.. When Haden first introduced him as head coach, Helton apologized for not being glitzy, while acknowledging the desire of some USC fans for a bigger-name coach. . USC has fired football coach Clay Helton just two games into his seventh season leading the program. Legal Statement. The most storied program in college baseball history, with 12 NCAA titles, now finds itself without a coach for the fifth time in 16 years. He was the third consecutive USC coach to be fired in the middle of the season. Our university and its leadership are committed to winning national championships and restoring USC football to glory, the athletic director said in his statement. USC has fired Clay Helton, the former multi-time interim coach who won a Rose Bowl and became Rasputin. Get TMZ breaking news sent right to your browser! Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham, right, shakes hands with USC head coach Clay Helton following their game Saturday, Oct. 20, 2018, in Salt Lake City. Ryan Kartje is the USC beat writer at the Los Angeles Times. While Helton brought stability to a tumultuous football culture and ran a clean program that inspired loyalty and love from his players, he never won over a significant portion of the Trojans vast fan base, even during his early successes. Decisions might be driven by the elephant that still has his big ass parked In Swanys living room. The added resources carried significantly increased expectations for our teams performance, and it is already evident that, despite the enhancements, those expectations would not be met without a change in leadership.. or redistributed. Bland, who was ultimately fired by USC, pleaded guilty in January to conspiracy to commit bribery for taking a $4,100 in exchange for steering players to a sports agency. In this instance, they presented her as a crew coxswain for the L.A. Marina Club team and also had a photo taken of her on an ergometer. It took just two games the following season for Bohn to change his mind. Thanks for contacting us. Born: Greenwood, S.C. College: Randolph-Macon, 1985. The announcement finally ends Helton's USC career after several seasons that could be described as frustrating for Trojans fans; he took over head coaching duties full time in 2016, going 10-3 and 11-3 in his first two years there, respectively. LAS VEGAS Down seven to Washington midway through the fourth quarter Wednesday, Oregon needed someone to step up. James Franklin also has a proven track record, but he has said before that Penn State a traditional Big Ten power is his dream job. Staff Directory Members By Category/Department; USC fired coach Clay Helton on Monday just two days after it fell 42-28 as a double-digit favorite at home against Stanford. Helton had been at USC since 2010, when Lane Kiffin hired the former college quarterback as his QBs coach. Clay is one of the finest human beings I have met in this industry, and he has been a tremendous role model and mentor to our young men, Bohn said in a statement. USC athletic director Mike Bohn announced Monday that Trojans football coach Clay Helton has become former Trojans football coach Clay Helton, though he was a bit kinder in the release. September 14, 2021 Updated 3:28 PM PDT. Getty Images. Bohn replaced Lynn Swann as USCs athletic director in November 2019, and the schools aspirations for national title contention ramped up again with major infrastructure additions to all areas of the football program. Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Ivy League schools like Yale do not give athletic scholarships, but its member universities have increased the amount of financial aid to admitted students in recent years, making it easier to recruit athletes who previously would not have attended those schools. USC says Smith wants to pursue other opportunities outside of college coaching. The profile was presented by Heinel to the admissions subcommittee in November of that year. Vavic was the Trojans most high-profile coach implicated in the latest scandal. Bohns decision means one of the most visible and most powerful jobs in college football is open just three weeks into the new season, and the AD said he is launching his search immediately. ", Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. The Dash suggests top targets for the Trojans' coaching search. Who knows how deep the coaching bribery scam really runs. You can bet your ass the NCAA has eyes on this -- especially considering USC's legendary history of bribery and scandal in their athletic department. Teamed Up W/ Conor's Proper No. Toney is one of three on-field assistants to bail on Napier and bolt for the NFL in recent weeks. ", Yes! The following year, Giannulli and Laughlin made a similar effort for their younger daughters. Khosroshahin was head coach of the USC women's soccer team for seven seasons before he was fired following the 2013 season . Athletic director Mike Bohn made the move two days after an . LSU coach Brian Kelly is promoting senior defensive analyst John Jancek to special teams coordinator and outside linebackers coach. Former mens basketball assistant coach Tony Bland was fired after he was indicted by federal investigators two years ago for his involvement in the college basketball bribery and corruption scandal. Over the summers of 2016 and 2017, Heimel allegedly received a total of $100,000 from actress Lori Loughlin and her husband, Mossimo Giannullo, whose daughters were recruited to the USC women's crew team despite having norowing experience. Jason Gill, the latest coach to try to resurrect it, has faced challenges, many of them his own making. After that, Helton's Trojans never won more than eight games in a season, going 5-7, 8-5 and 5-1 in 2018, '19 and '20, respectively (the Trojans were only able to play six games in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic). 6 USC Mens Tennis Stalls Out In 4-2 Loss To No. USC baseball was once the NCAAs gold standard. What Is Real Reason USC Is Altering Schedule. I dont really know what Swann will do look Im no fan of Swann but the school is not in the best shape financially due to the lawsuits and scandals (attorney fees) add to that Swann is not and never will take a risk 2019. Moreover, USC went 9-12 against ranked opponents after he took over full time in 2016, with three of those wins coming during the Trojans' 10-win campaign that year. No one wanted to be there, one USC player recalled to The Times in March. The first of those controversial decisions came in 2019, less than a month after Bohn was hired away from Cincinnati as athletic director. USC women's tennis coach Richard Gallien is stepping down after 22 years. Status: Khosroshahin was fired from USC in 2013. Swann gave a lucrative extension to Helton in 2018 over the objections of many fans. Before reuniting with Kelly in 2022, Jancek was a defensive quality control assistant at Georgia, where he was part of the 2021 national title team.