USC to add more experience to defensive coaching staff

After overhauling his defensive coaching staff in the offseason, USC coach Lincoln Riley has added yet more experience on that side of the ball.

Per The Athletic's Bruce Feldman, USC is hiring former NFL assistant coach Jim Hostler as a defensive analyst.

Interestingly, Hostler's background is actually on the offensive side. He was an offensive coordinator at Juniata College and IUP in the 1990s before embarking on a long NFL career, that included stints coaching quarterbacks, wide receivers and tight ends for a number of teams and a year as the OC of the San Francisco 49ers in 2007. He most recently spent last season as a senior offensive assistant for the Detroit Lions.

Last year, USC employed longtime college and NFL assistant coach Greg Brown as a senior defensive analyst.

The current staff roster posted on USC's official team site lists Taylor Mays and Skyler Jones as defensive analysts, Zach Crabtree as an offensive analyst and Ryan Dougherty as a special teams analysts.

Analysts are additional resources beyond the primary assistant coaches, who can perform a variety of roles while offering additional perspective and insight.