USC has a prolonged process it completes before acknowledges coaching hires, but the Trojans finally announced the hiring of safeties coach Craig Naivar and the promotion of John David Baker from offensive analyst to tight ends coach Monday.
The moves were previously reported, and Naivar had already changed his Twitter bio to reflect his new job and was tweeting from the Trojans' Junior Day recruiting event Saturday.
Naivar follows new defensive coordinator Todd Orlando from Texas, where he coached the safeties for three years and was Orlando's co-defensive coordinator in 2019. He had also served as special teams coordinator his first two seasons with the Longhorns, but he does not carry either of those extra titles over to his new job.
After Orlando was fired by Texas following the season, Naivar served as the Longhorns' interim defensive coordinator in their 38-10 win over Utah in the Alamo Bowl. Texas held the Utes to 254 yards in that game.
During his time at Texas, safety DeShon Elliott was a unanimous All-American and Thorpe Award finalist in 2017 and safety Caden Sterns was the Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year in 2018.
He also worked under Orlando as safeties coach and co-defensive coordinator for two seasons at Houston. Prior to that, Naivar was the safeties coach and special teams coordinator at Kentucky (2014), defensive coordinator and safeties coach at Texas State (2004-06 and 2011-13) and also spent four seasons at Rice (2007-10) and four seasons at Sam Houston State (2000-03).
Baker, meanwhile, joined USC last year when Graham Harrell was hired as offensive coordinator. Baker, who like Harrell was a college quarterback in the state of Texas (at Abilene Christian), was an offensive quality control analyst in his first year in the program.
Both are expected to be impact additions to USC's recruiting efforts.
The Trojans still have three positions to fill on staff after also formally announcing that inside linebackers coach/recruiting coordinator Johnny Nansen, defensive backs coach Greg Burns and defensive line coach Chad Kauha'aha'a would not return. The Athletic's Bruce Feldman first reported that news Sunday.
Orlando has traditionally coached the linebackers himself, meaning its likely USC hires coaches for the defensive line, cornerbacks and special teams. The Trojans had Burns handle both the corners and safeties last season.
It's unclear who head coach Clay Helton and Orlando will pursue to fill those positions. Orlando's defensive line coach at Texas last season, Oscar Giles, was retained on staff by the Longhorns. His cornerbacks coach Jason Washington, who also served as Texas' recruiting coordinator, was not retained, but he has reportedly been hired by Mississippi State.
As it stands, five of USC's seven coaches on staff now have strong Texas recruiting connections, ensuring the Trojans' recent heightened attention to the Lone Star State will continue. Here's the staff as it presently stands:
Offensive coordinator/QBs: Graham Harrell
Offensive line: Tim Drevno
Running backs: Mike Jinks
Wide receivers: Keary Colbert
Tight ends: John David Baker
Defensive coordinator/LBs: Todd Orlando
Safeties: Craig Naivar
Cornerbacks: TBD
Defensive line: TBD
Special teams: TBD
