USC head coach Lincoln Riley recently hired D’Anton Lynn to be the Trojans new defensive coordinator after the firing of Alex Grinch.
Lynn has been around the game of football his entire life and is the son of former Los Angeles Chargers head coach and current San Francisco 49ers assistant Anthony Lynn. D’Anton Lynn’s journey in the sport started at Penn State University where he was a three-time All-Big Ten cornerback (2009-11) and was later signed as an undrafted free agent by the New York Jets in 2012. After Lynn’s playing days, he decided to pursue a coaching career spending his first nine seasons in the NFL working for the New York Jets, Buffalo Bills, Los Angeles Chargers, Houston Texans, and Baltimore Ravens. In February UCLA coach Chip Kelly hired Lynn as the Bruins defensive coordinator.
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Although Lynn spent a short time at UCLA, he played a huge part in the Bruins’ success on defense this year. Lynn transformed the total defense from being ranked sixth to first in the Pac-12 this season. Lynn’s work didn’t go unnoticed and he is seen as one of the top assistants in all of college football. Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley is excited to have Lynn as a part of the staff and feels he is the perfect fit for the job.
“I think he’s a rising star in this coaching profession,” Riley told the LA Times. “And just every conversation that we had, felt more and more like this was the guy that we really wanted.”
Riley also commented on how Lynn’s coaching experience will help the Trojans in an athletic department statement.
“We simply couldn’t ask for a better addition to our staff. His successful experiences in both college and the NFL make him the perfect fit for our program,” Riley said.
USC will pay Lynn $2 million a year on a three-year contract, doubling his UCLA salary.
