Coach Clay Helton was asked directly about his job status today and whether he expects to return in 2019. He intimated that he will indeed be the USC coach next season. Here are his full responses.
--on if he feels pressure still trying to earn a bowl bid after 10 games
"The only pressure I feel is to help a bunch of seniors and a bunch of kids go out and get the Victory Bell one more year. I’ve always had great support from this university. Lynn Swann has been extremely supportive of me as well as our president Dr. Austin. The only pressure I have is I want our seniors to have a great experience in these last two games and be able to come out with victories. That’s why we fight daylight until dark. We take it one day at a time and add it all up in the end."
--on addressing speculation about his job during a team meeting Monday
"I let the boys know -- understand that my plan is to be here a long time. There’s always a lot of noise out here. We’re in the second-largest media market in the world. The beauty of social media is a lot of people get opinions and those opinions on social media can affect kids and they want to know where the coach’s mindset is and they also want to know the stability of their coach. Like I told them, my plan is to be here for another 15 years. I’d like to do it til I’m 60, right here, and that’s my plan. So, know this, I’m not going anywhere. I want them to know my jaw is set and that I have the support of a great university and great people in this administration and I’ve always felt that. The noise doesn’t affect me, but it affects 18- to 21-year-olds and especially when you’re going into an emotional UCLA game and a Notre Dame game. I like to provide, in the art of chaos, your leader is supposed to be the one that provides calm. When things are at their worst, you get to reveal who you are and what your character is and that’s what I believe."
--on whether he has an assurance from AD Lynn Swann that he'll be back at USC in 2019
"I have a lot of support from Lynn Swann. Lynn, every Monday, walks into my office and has given me nothing but, 'Coach, we're in this for the long haul.’ We're going to get this done. That's what I've felt from day one, and what I felt after the Cal game also. I know, in my heart, I'm going to be here [in 2019]. I know my players are fighting every day to help us become better, and it happens to programs sometimes that you have an off year. We're still fighting to win the last two games here, get to a bowl game and get it done. You see programs all the time. We're getting ready to compete against one in two weeks, that had some good years, fell off a year, and now they're sitting back here trying to make a playoff run. That's my plan also. You fight every day just to get your team a little bit better, a little bit stronger and so the next opportunity is successful. I feel very secure in where I'm at."
--how he reconciles job security with an unhappy fanbase
"The biggest thing that you can do as a head coach is to, one, help your kids win games and raise them the right way. And I’ve also felt a ton of support from the fans. The beautiful thing about college football is college coaches get to go out there and in games and raise kids, the media gets to report and give their opinion. And the fanbase gets to show their passion. And some of it is great passion and some of it’s passion that’s frustration. But that’s what makes our game great. It’s the passion of a football game, and we all have jobs. I’m going to do my job, y’all do your job, and the fans will bring that passion. And that’s what makes college football so good. It doesn’t bother me."
--on whether he is worried about losing the fans
"The fanbase? No. I’m going to be the same person each and every day, that I’m going to be. And it's going to be to represent his university the right way, to help kids win ballgames, to help raise them from young man to men that are professionals on and off the field. When you do that on a consistent basis, year after year after year after year, then that affects and grows. The people I want to make sure that love me at the end of the day are God, my wife and these kids that are behind me in this locker room. Those are the three folks. And the fans, when you do your job, obviously, they will always support you. And I’ve had a ton of support. Believe me. I get more texts and emails form people saying, Coach just keep on going. We’re right behind you."
--on if he feels pressure still trying to earn a bowl bid after 10 games
"The only pressure I feel is to help a bunch of seniors and a bunch of kids go out and get the Victory Bell one more year. I’ve always had great support from this university. Lynn Swann has been extremely supportive of me as well as our president Dr. Austin. The only pressure I have is I want our seniors to have a great experience in these last two games and be able to come out with victories. That’s why we fight daylight until dark. We take it one day at a time and add it all up in the end."
--on addressing speculation about his job during a team meeting Monday
"I let the boys know -- understand that my plan is to be here a long time. There’s always a lot of noise out here. We’re in the second-largest media market in the world. The beauty of social media is a lot of people get opinions and those opinions on social media can affect kids and they want to know where the coach’s mindset is and they also want to know the stability of their coach. Like I told them, my plan is to be here for another 15 years. I’d like to do it til I’m 60, right here, and that’s my plan. So, know this, I’m not going anywhere. I want them to know my jaw is set and that I have the support of a great university and great people in this administration and I’ve always felt that. The noise doesn’t affect me, but it affects 18- to 21-year-olds and especially when you’re going into an emotional UCLA game and a Notre Dame game. I like to provide, in the art of chaos, your leader is supposed to be the one that provides calm. When things are at their worst, you get to reveal who you are and what your character is and that’s what I believe."
--on whether he has an assurance from AD Lynn Swann that he'll be back at USC in 2019
"I have a lot of support from Lynn Swann. Lynn, every Monday, walks into my office and has given me nothing but, 'Coach, we're in this for the long haul.’ We're going to get this done. That's what I've felt from day one, and what I felt after the Cal game also. I know, in my heart, I'm going to be here [in 2019]. I know my players are fighting every day to help us become better, and it happens to programs sometimes that you have an off year. We're still fighting to win the last two games here, get to a bowl game and get it done. You see programs all the time. We're getting ready to compete against one in two weeks, that had some good years, fell off a year, and now they're sitting back here trying to make a playoff run. That's my plan also. You fight every day just to get your team a little bit better, a little bit stronger and so the next opportunity is successful. I feel very secure in where I'm at."
--how he reconciles job security with an unhappy fanbase
"The biggest thing that you can do as a head coach is to, one, help your kids win games and raise them the right way. And I’ve also felt a ton of support from the fans. The beautiful thing about college football is college coaches get to go out there and in games and raise kids, the media gets to report and give their opinion. And the fanbase gets to show their passion. And some of it is great passion and some of it’s passion that’s frustration. But that’s what makes our game great. It’s the passion of a football game, and we all have jobs. I’m going to do my job, y’all do your job, and the fans will bring that passion. And that’s what makes college football so good. It doesn’t bother me."
--on whether he is worried about losing the fans
"The fanbase? No. I’m going to be the same person each and every day, that I’m going to be. And it's going to be to represent his university the right way, to help kids win ballgames, to help raise them from young man to men that are professionals on and off the field. When you do that on a consistent basis, year after year after year after year, then that affects and grows. The people I want to make sure that love me at the end of the day are God, my wife and these kids that are behind me in this locker room. Those are the three folks. And the fans, when you do your job, obviously, they will always support you. And I’ve had a ton of support. Believe me. I get more texts and emails form people saying, Coach just keep on going. We’re right behind you."
