USC reportedly to hire former Bowling Green head coach Mike Jinks as running backs coach.

USC is set to bring in another quality assistant coach to the staff. As reported by Gerard Martinez of USCFootball.com Monday evening, the Trojans are set to hire Mike Jinks as their running backs coach.

Jinks was the head coach at Bowling Green where the Falcons went 7-24 during his tenure. He was fired on October 14 after the team went 1-6 to start the season. Jinks was also the running backs coach at Texas Tech from 2013 to 2015, where he coached with then head coach and current USC offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury. One of the notable players Jinks coached at Texas Tech, was Oakland Raiders running back DeAndre Washington. Washington hit the 1,000 yard rushing mark twice back in 2014 and 2015 making him the first Texas Tech running back to do so since 1998. He’s also the only running back during the Tech Air Raid era to rush for 1,000.

This hire gives Kingsbury a familiar name to work with on the coaching staff. Last week in an Instagram video, Kingsbury voiced how the Trojans are going to be physical and run the ball, which makes sense as to why Jinks was hired onto the staff. The former Bowling Green head coach oversaw one of the most run heavy teams during the Air Raid era at Texas Tech.

With Jinks coming in to coach running backs, one has to wonder what Tim Drevno’s role will be with the team. Drevno was the running backs coach for the Trojans until being given the interim offensive line role midway through the 2018 season. One would have to think that he will assume the duties of being the full time offensive line coach with Jinks taking over as the running backs coach. The offensive line play slightly improved once Drevno took over coaching during the last four games of the season.

The staff hunt is not over for the Trojans however. USC still has to find coaches for the defensive backs and wide receivers after firing Tee Martin and Ronnie Bradford at the end of the 2018 season.