Breaking: USC makes key changes to the defensive coaching staff for the 2019 season

Changes are starting to take place with the USC Trojans’ coaching staff. Following USC’s disappointing 5-7 season USC has let go defensive line coach Kenechi Udeze and defensive back coach Ronnie Bradford Tuesday morning. The news was confirmed and announced by the USC athletics twitter account.

On Sunday morning Lynn Swann released a statement on the return of head coach Clay Helton. In that statement Swann shared how that there will be changes made to the program. It appears that Helton is cleaning house on his coaching staff. Both Bradford and Udeze were on in house recruiting trips on Sunday and Monday night.

It was needed for USC to make key changes following its 5-7 season and missing a bowl game. The coaching and player development was noted as a key issue with the Trojans. The Trojans’ defensive line had issues generating a pass rush while the secondary outside of Iman Marshall had issues giving up the big play this season.

Bradford joined the USC coaching staff in 2016 after working at Louisiana Tech as the defensive backs coach and assistant special teams coordinator. He also coached at Memphis and Cal under defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast. Udeze joined the USC coaching staff in 2014 as the strength and conditioning coach after Steve Sarkisian was hired as the Trojans’ head coach. He was also an all-American defensive end with USC back in 2003.

With the release of two defensive coaches fans can’t help but wonder, who’s next to go? This likely won’t be the only news coming out of USC about the coaching staff.