As USC athletic director Mike Bohn and executive senior associate AD/chief of staff Brandon Sosna were made available to reporters Thursday, it was the first opportunity to ask Sosna about the report last week that he's receiving NFL interest.
Yahoo Sports' Pete Thamel reported that Sosna met with the Detroit Lions about a potential front office role.
Sosna wouldn't discuss that specific report, but said it would take "something pretty significant" for him to consider leaving his role at USC, where he has been integral in bolstering the infrastructure within the Trojans' football program over the last 19 months.
"I wouldn’t comment on any reports like that, especially ones that are really of a personal or private nature. I think what I would say is that one sign of a healthy and well respected program is when people are trying to hire your people. Whether that’s administrative staff, our coaches in football, our coaches in other sports, if we’re not being talked about, if our staff aren't being recruited then we’re doing it wrong," Sosna said. "In the 20 months I’ve been here, all three of our coordinators have been approached about opportunities. We’ve had multiple NFL teams approach our coaching staff members. As you all know, we’ve added some quality control analysts positions over the last two years. We added two last year -- one is now a position coach in a Power 5 program and the other is on an NFL staff. When we were recruiting [offensive analyst] Bryan Carrington here, I remember we talked about being QCU.
"So we take a lot of pride in the fact that whether it’s administratively or from a coaching perspective, that when people are looking for talented members to add to their team, they look to us. I would say at the same time, Mike and USC have given me an extraordinary opportunity, and it would take something pretty significant for me to want to leave here. We have a lot of work left to do. I’m excited to continue to do my part. ... It's a personal mission for us to deliver the championship program that Trojan fans have come to expect."
Sosna was Bohn's first hire after he took the USC AD job, as they had worked together at Cincinnati.
Named to Forbes' "30 Under 30" sports list, Sosna is considered by many to be a rising star in the business. He is seemingly involved in every facet of the Trojans' athletics administration and is the point person for football coach Clay Helton and his staff with regard to needs or matters that arise within the program.
The reported interview with the Detroit Lions made sense as Lions senior personnel executive John Dorsey had previously hired Sosna with the Cleveland Browns, where he spent the 2017-18 seasons and was ultimately promoted to salary cap and contract analyst before rejoining Bohn at Cincinnati.
This surely won't be the last time Sosna is courted for other positions.
With that in mind, Bohn was asked how confident he is that he can keep his top lieutenant and trusted right-hand man around for a while.
"Brandon is a unique talent. He has connected with partners across campus in a way that’s unprecedented," Bohn said. "I tip my hat to him. But I also tip my hat to the partners across campus who have really embraced us being new and all the different things that we’re trying to do. We've got a great team of people here at 'SC. Despite all the challenges and the expectations and distractions and hurdles we’ve had to endure over the last 20 months, our future is bright. We’re excited and we’re encouraged.
"But Brandon said it well, we still have work to do. We recognize that. We’re going to continue to do everything we can to ensure the tradition and history of this program remains at the forefront of intercollegiate athletics for all sports across the whole spectrum. Brandon is a unique talent and a big part of that, but we also have wonderful people in the department we’ve been able to galvanize around a unified culture, a unified vision associated with being the most student athlete-centered program in the country. That’s why I’m excited, and Brandon clearly identified his excitement as well."
