The USC Trojans have themselves a rising star on their coaching staff with defensive backs coach Doug Belk.
Doug Belk: A Strong Recruiter and Developer
One of the many reasons why head coach Lincoln Riley wanted Belk on his coaching staff is because he is an exceptional defensive coach and a great recruiter.
A former defensive coordinator with the Houston Cougars, Belk helped recruit and churn out numerous all-conference players and NFL Draft picks.
He also had a big hand in coaching great defensive backs and other defenders at Alabama and West Virginia.
Players like Landon Collins, Cyrus Jones, Minkah Fitzpatrick, Marlon Humphrey, Payton Turner, and Logan Hall were all drafted after playing for Belk during their college careers.
The Carson-Newman alum is also a two-time champion (won the 2015 national title at Alabama and a Division II national title at Valdosta State).
Now, USC needs his help to put their defense back on the map.
Belk Can Improve the USC Defense
Even though he will only be a defensive backs coach, Belk can certainly help the Trojans become better in multiple areas.
First of all, it is important to note that this USC defense finished the 2024 season ranked 77th in total defense and 98th in pass defense, which isn’t good enough if you want to build a winning program.
This is not the first time that a Riley defense has performed poorly seeing as that was part of the reason why his Oklahoma Sooners teams ended up coming up short most of the time.
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But this USC program has failed to win 10 games in two of Riley’s first three seasons in Hollywood, which is not good enough. Now a part of the Big Ten, the Trojans are going to have to be a more complete football team if they hope to compete with the likes of Ohio State, Penn State, and Michigan.
Hiring Belk can help improve the backend of the defense, which could help improve the overall play of the USC defense. Look for the Trojans’ pass defense to improve, at the very least, with Belk leading the coaching charge.
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