It maybe didn't get the attention it deserved in the wave of reaction that swept through the USC fan base Monday, when embattled head coach Clay Helton was fired two games into the season and Donte Williams was promoted to interim head coach.

In that moment, Williams made history in becoming the first Black head coach in USC football history.

He reflected on that Tuesday after leading the Trojans through practice.

"To be honest, it's a humble, humble, humble thing because there's been a lot of guys before me that probably did more than I've done to have the opportunity," he said. "So it's not just about me, per se. It's about a lot of guys that came before me, it's a lot of guys that will come after me, so it's about making sure I do what's best for this team, for this university, for this community and that's what I'm going to do."

USC athletic director Mike Bohn said Tuesday that Williams was the right guy to lead the team at this time because of the depth of relationships he's built with players across the roster as a result of his efforts as an elite recruiter. That includes players who recruited at other schools who ended up at USC but maintained a strong connection with Williams.

Williams also already had the title of associate head coach so the move came as no surprsie.

"Donte, if you get to know him, he's from Los Angeles and Donte is a relationship guy," Bohn said. "And I really believe that our talented coordinators need to coordinate and do a great job so they can focus on the important roles that they have. And Donte's recruited a great number of these players, and some of the players that he recruited from other institutions where he was and came to USC. So he knows them, he knows their families, he has great relationships with them, he has impeccable poise. He's a leader.

"And we wanted our coordinators to coordinate and do a great job ... while Donte's doing everything he can to rally the team and pull them together."

In his first comments on the coaching transition on Monday he thanked Bohn, associate AD Brandon Sosna and university president Carol Folt for giving him "the opportunity of a lifetime."

After practice Tuesday, before he walked over to meet with reporters for the first time, Williams shared a hug with Sosna and an embrace with Bohn.

Asked how he felt settling into the job, he said, "To be honest, it felt great."

As for the future, that's unknown. Bohn said he hasn't talked to Williams about whether he'll be considered as a candidate for the permanent job. Williams also deflected a question about that.

"Like I say, I'm worried about today. I have full faith in USC that they'll make the best decision, make the right choice for these athletes, for these student-athletes. I have full-fledged trust that they will do that, so I'm about going 1-0 today," he said.

Regardless of how long Williams' USC tenure lasts, it already has a place in program history.