Ad Disclosure
Former USC coach Clay Helton reportedly set to become new head coach at Georgia Southern
Published:
The first domino in college football’s silly season has reportedly fallen. The coaching carousel is officially spinning.
Fired in September just two games into the season by USC, longtime Trojan coach Clay Helton has agreed to become Georgia Southern’s next head coach, according to multiple reports.
Georgia Southern fired coach Chad Lunsford after a 1-3 start to the season. The Eagles (2-6, 1-4 Sun Belt) are last in the Sun Belt East heading into Saturday’s game against No. 21 Coastal Carolina.
There was blowback in both instances for a program dismissing a head coach so early in the season, but the timing presumably allowed Georgia Southern to grab something of a distressed asset. Helton had been at USC since the 2010 season and brings a wealth of experience with him.
According to ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg, Helton had two years and more than $10 million left on his USC contract at the time of his firing.
Helton, who will make $800,000 a year on a 5-year contract according to Yahoo Sports’ Pete Thamel, was the Trojans’ head coach since 2015. With a Rose Bowl win in 2016, a Pac-12 title in 2017, and a 46-24 record, Helton gives the Eagles a legitimate Power Five coach to help raise the profile of a program in just its eighth season at the FBS level.
According to Thamel, Georgia Southern will retain interim coach Kevin Whitley for the remainder of its season. Still, with over a month before the first of two signing periods, Helton will have a runway to get his feet under him and start planning for his future roster.
Derek Peterson does a bit of everything, not unlike Taysom Hill. He has covered Oklahoma, Nebraska, the Pac-12, and now delivers CFB-wide content.