USC has hired former Super Bowl-winning assistant coach Rob Ryan to be its linebackers coach, Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley announced on Saturday.

The 62-year-old Ryan, who won 2 Super Bowls in the early 2000s when he was the linebackers coach with the New England Patriots, is heading back to the collegiate coaching ranks. On Saturday, USC football’s social media released a simple, 4-word message in announcing the hire: “We got our guy.”

“Rob Ryan is one of the most accomplished defensive coaches in NFL history,” Riley said in a statement. “With over two decades of NFL experience, he will immediately bolster our staff as we continue our climb here at USC. He has coached some of the NFL’s top players, including numerous Hall of Famers and All-Pro selections. We’re thrilled to welcome Coach Ryan and his family to our program.”

During his 35 years of coaching, which includes 24 seasons in the NFL, Ryan has served as the defensive coordinator for the Oakland Raiders (2004-08), Cleveland Browns (2009-10), Dallas Cowboys (2011-12) and New Orleans Saints (2013-15). He’s also held coaching positions with the Arizona Cardinals (1994-95), Patriots (2000-03), Buffalo Bills (2016), Washington Redskins (2019), Baltimore Ravens (2021) and Las Vegas Raiders (2022-24).

Ryan was most recently the senior defensive assistant for the Las Vegas Raiders for the past 3 seasons.

Ryan’s last college coaching job came as defensive coordinator at Oklahoma State from 1997-99.

He replaces Matt Entz, who left USC to take the head coaching job at Fresno State. Ryan has no prior connection to Riley, but he has worked with USC defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn before.