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Report: USC hiring Oklahoma OLBs/DEs coach Jamar Cain

Another piece to the USC coaching staff puzzle has come together, as The Athletic's Bruce Feldman reports that new Trojans coach Lincoln Riley is hiring outside linebackers/defensives ends coach Jamar Cain from Oklahoma.

That continues the exodus from Norman, Okla., to Los Angeles, as Riley, the former Sooners head coach, has also brought with him defensive coordinator Alex Grinch, outside receivers coach Dennis Simmons, head strength coach Bennie Wylie and director of football operations Clarke Stroud.

Riley has also hired inside receivers coach Dave Nichol from Mississippi State, and Zach Hanson from Tulsa, who was the offensive line coach there but has coached tight ends previously.

That leaves five assistants still to be hired.

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Former Oklahoma cornerbacks coach Roy Manning, who has been removed from the team's coaching roster in the last day, is also widely expected to join the Trojans staff.

And Oklahoma co-offensive coordinator/offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh was linked to the Trojans in an early report from On3.com's Matt Zenitz, but there has been no further updates on his status and Bedenbaugh had told recruits as recently as late last week that he didn't know what his future held.

As for Cain, he spent the last two seasons at Oklahoma, after previously coaching the defensive line at Arizona State (2019), Fresno State (2017-18) and North Dakota State (2014-16).

Last season, Cain helped Oklahoma rank 7th nationally in sacks per game (3.4), while outside linebacker Nik Bonitto ranked 13th in the country in 2020 with 8 sacks in 10 games and defensive end Ronnie Perkins had 5.5 sacks in six games.

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