USC AD Mike Bohn, interim coach Donte Williams talk transition from Helton

Donte Williams found out just before USC's team regularly-scheduled team meeting Monday afternoon that Clay Helton had been fired and Williams was going to take over as the interim head coach.

"It was just a normal day for me. It was just making sure my guys [are] ready to play and getting ready for practice. Next thing you know, right before the team meeting, Mike [Bohn] and Brandon [Sosna] pulled me in and talked to me and pretty much to be honest those two and Dr. Folt gave me the opportunity of a lifetime," he said. "Since then it's pretty much been nonstop since the team meeting."

Williams made his first comments as USC interim head coach on the Trojans Live radio show Monday night, with USC athletic director Mike Bohn also sharing more perspective on the news of the day.

RELATED: USC announces the end of the Clay Helton era

Williams was an obvious choice for the interim job, as he already held the title of associate head coach and is the face of USC recruiting. Installing him as interim head coach is the best statement the Trojans can deliver to recruits through this transition, and regardless of who ends up as the next head coach it seems likely Williams will remain in the program.

He will speak with reporters for the first time as interim coach after practice Tuesday, but in the meantime he was asked on Trojans Live about the impact he hopes to make.

"We have a lot of games left, but the season has started. It's hard to make huge changes right now, so my biggest thing is about enhancing everything we do. How can we enhance everything we do, whether it's the way we lift weights, the way we eat, the way we practice, the way we play. Just enhancing everything we do," he said. "That's the biggest message right now, making sure that we pretty much take care of all the little things. Because too many little things become huge and big things that cost us. They cost us penalties, they cost us dumb mistakes. They cost us as a team. They cost us as a university. That's the biggest message I have. Making sure we enhance everything we do. Everyone in this organization needs to do something a little bit better than what they were doing before, including myself."

USC made the move to fire Helton, who had taken over as Trojans coach during the 2015 season, after the team was dominated on its home field Saturday in a 42-28 loss to Stanford that wasn't even as close as that score would indicate.

Bohn and Helton addressed the team together before Helton had time to talk with his players and coaches Monday afternoon. Bohn said he was appreciative that the news was contained in house until he and Helton could tell the players directly, rather than seeing it on social media or somewhere else.

As for the decision ...

"Everybody says, 'Well, what was the final piece?' And I think that in the end it's just a sense of ensuring that long-term we have the ability to build," Bohn said. "I think we've made some nice progress in the time that Clay and I have worked together. I enjoyed working with Clay. He is an incredible person and we did some neat things, and I'm proud of the fact that together we didn't lose a whole lot of games. When you think back to going through COVID, I couldn't imagine going through COVID without Clay as a partner. But again, we're committed to winning national championships and we believe that in order to do that that a change was needed."

USC is not giving up on this season. The Stanford loss stung, but the Trojans haven't yet played a game in their own division so all Pac-12 title hopes remain intact.

It seemed like it would have been hard to recover with Helton still in charge, as his job status would have become a cloud over everything, so perhaps making the change now allows the team to reset. Williams said he think he's ideally suited to help ease the transition as well.

"I'm a person that's very fortunate because a lot of these guys either I've recruited here or I've recruited at past places. So I believe I have a great relationship with the guys on our team. I have a great relationship with the staff we have in place here. And a lot of these guys' families I even know pretty well. So I think the change that is happening right now is a lot easier for me than maybe it would be for someone else," he said. "A lot of guys are hurt. I'm really grateful for the opportunity that Clay even gave me a chance to come to USC. I'm greatly appreciative of the opportunity he gave me, and right now it's time for us, like I said, as a university, as a team, as a whole organization to pull tighter together."

One point of emphasis for Williams, he said, will be cleaning up some the undisciplined self-inflicted mistakes that played a major role in that Stanford loss.

"Once we eliminate the dumb mistakes, you're going to see true Trojans football," he said.

Those efforts will start with a road game at Washington State this week before the Trojans return home to host Oregon State the following weekend.

Williams had a message for the fans about that next home game.

"The atmosphere this past game was electric, so it's based on us and the product we put on the field to make sure the environment stays that way and gets even better. I'm about making sure the Coliseum is sold out," he said. "What we need to do is put the best product on the field to make sure that happens. The administration here is doing everything possible to give us the things we need to succeed. And we're going to make sure that we put our best foot forward and we match their efforts, and will."

Williams added that he's looking forward to moving down to the field on game days, where can interact directly with the players, as opposed to being up in the booth, where he's been to this point.

Bohn, meanwhile, emphasized that expectations remain high for this team and this season.

"They're high. They're high. They're high because I believe this team and this coaching staff has high expectations of each other," he said. "You're really going to enjoy Donte Williams. Donte is a gentleman and the good news is he's got some really talented coaches in that room with him. He has a unique ability just to connect with young people as you all know. He has served as our associate head coach, and I am really looking forward to seeing what he can do.

"We've got a lot of big ballgames coming up, we've got 10, and hopefully a premier bowl game to be able to play in. Everything is in front of us as far as our aspirations to win the league still, so it's one game at a time."