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Since DeShaun Foster was fired earlier this week, D’Anton Lynn has been close to the highest of most potential lists of head teaching candidates for UCLA.
However USC’s rising star defensive coordinator mentioned on Wednesday that he has not been contacted in regards to the open job throughout city and reiterated that his consideration was skilled on the Trojans’ upcoming matchup with Michigan State on Saturday evening.
“We’ve received loads of stuff on protection that we’ve received to wash up and enhance on,” Lynn mentioned. “In order that’s the place all my focus is correct now.”
Lynn, who spent the 2023 season as UCLA’s defensive coordinator, signed a contract extension with USC in January that made him one of many highest-paid assistants in school soccer after his alma mater, Penn State, pursued him for its open defensive coordinator job.
However till now, Lynn’s title had by no means been linked to any head teaching jobs.
The pursuit from Penn State got here after Lynn remodeled the Trojans struggling protection in a single season. After hitting all-time low below earlier coordinator Alex Grinch, USC gave up 10 fewer factors per sport below Lynn final season, leaping from 121st within the nation (34.4 factors per sport) to a good 56th (24.1). The protection improved significantly towards the run, giving up almost 50 fewer yards per sport, and with its tackling, lacking three fewer on common per sport.
That progress has continued to date into 2025, as USC has allowed simply 16.7 factors per sport by means of three weeks, albeit towards lesser competitors.
Lynn engineered an identical overhaul of UCLA’s protection in his first season as a defensive coordinator. After inheriting a bunch that completed 87th in yards allowed and ninetieth in factors allowed, he remodeled UCLA’s protection right into a consensus prime 10 unit.
On the time, then-Bruins head coach Chip Kelly mentioned that UCLA “undoubtedly would like to preserve D’Anton right here.”
“I do know our administration is aware of how invaluable D’Anton is to us,” mentioned Kelly, who left UCLA a month after Lynn. “He’s carried out an incredible job, and he’s a very good soccer coach.”
Lynn left lower than every week later for USC, which doubled his wage as defensive coordinator.
How decided he’s to maintain climbing that ladder stays to be seen. Lynn first rose by means of the ranks as an assistant within the NFL and a number of groups have stored an in depth eye on him since he left for school soccer.
However like so many others in his place, Lynn did acknowledge he nonetheless has hopes of being a head coach sometime.
“I believe everybody who will get into teaching needs to in some unspecified time in the future,” Lynn mentioned. “However you recognize, it’s a protracted course of. There’s a lot in entrance of your face that in case you cease listening to that, unhealthy issues occur.”
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