USC football coach Clay Helton has been fired, athletic director Mike Bohn announced on Monday.
The decision comes two days after the Trojans, who arrived in the season with conference aspirations, were embarrassed in a 42-28 home defeat to Stanford.
“As I pledged upon my arrival at USC, over the past two seasons we provided all the resources necessary for our football program to compete for the championships,” Bohn said in a statement announcing the dismissal. “The added resources significantly increased our team’s performance expectations and it is already clear that despite the improvements, those expectations would not be met without a change in leadership.”
Donte Williams will serve as interim head coach. Williams joined the USC squad in 2020 as a cornerbacks coach and coordinator of the defensive passing game and was elevated to associate head coach after last season.
Helton had been with the program since 2010, when he was hired to coach Lane Kiffin’s starting squad quarterbacks. He was the offensive coordinator for Kiffin and Steve Sarkisian before being hired as head coach by then-AD Pat Haden in 2015.
Including two seasons as interim coach, Helton went 46-24 as Trojan coach, including a Rose Bowl victory to end the 2016 season.
“I want to be exceptionally clear: our university and its leadership are committed to winning national championships and regaining the glory of USC football,” Bohn said. “This decision represents our next step towards this goal in what has been a reflective and strategic process to build a comprehensive football organization equivalent to the most important programs on the modern scene.”
A national search for Helton’s replacement will be conducted over the next few months, Bohn said.