Clay Helton certainly doesn't talk like a coach expecting to be out of a job anytime soon.
The embattled USC head coach held his usual conference call with reporters Sunday night and talked at length about things such as gap integrity, moments he lamented from the loss to UCLA and his unwavering focus on trying to prepare the Trojans to challenge unbeaten Notre Dame in their regular-season finale this week.
Outside the walls of the USC football complex, the only talking point is Helton, his future and what athletic director Lynn Swann will do and say this week or next week, etc.
Helton insists in his world, though, it's business as usual with no distractions.
"No, not one thing different. Not one thing," he said Sunday night. "We reported at the same time, had the same offense and defensive staff meeting, had the same injury report meeting, had the same staff meeting we had altogether to discuss personnel and then started game-planning on Notre Dame. Nothing changes for us, and that's the way we'll always be here is we give the most energy and most focus we can on the opponent at hand, no matter if we're doing really well as a team or if you're sitting here at 5-6.
"We are going to give our utmost effort to try to win the next game and nothing changes. So it is status quo right here right now."
Helton walked off the field at the Rose Bowl on Saturday afternoon to jeers and a sign suggesting his time should be up at USC, after the Trojans endured another second-half let-down on the way to a 34-27 loss to a struggling Bruins team that now has just 3 wins and is at the start of a total rebuild under first-year coach Chip Kelly.
The Trojans dropped to 5-6, their most regular-season losses since the 2000 season, which finished 5-7 and cost then-embattled head coach Paul Hackett his job.
But if there are parallels to draw there, Helton doesn't see them or chooses not to see them.
And if he feels any heat at all, he's not letting on publicly.
It was telling Saturday night, though, when Helton was asked again if he had an assurance from Swann that he'll be returning in 2019. Helton deferred that question to Swann just days after answering a similar question by resolutely saying he expected to be the coach at USC for a long time and that Swann has told him he's in it for the long haul.
More questions came Sunday night on the matter. This time, Helton was asked if it would make things easier on him if Swann would come out with a definitive statement on his future -- if the AD does intend to keep his maligned head coach.
"I worry about one thing and that's trying to compete against a good Notre Dame team and trying to help our team win that game. It's not my job to worry about speculation. It's not my job to worry about [things that] are said," Helton responded. "It's my job to be able to raise kids and help them win games. That's all I'm focused on. Everything else will play out the way it is, and like I said, out of honor and respect to Mr. Swann, he'll address it when he feels the appropriate time is.
"All I can say is I've been given every ounce of support that is needed by Mr. Swann to be able to do my job and feel comfortable in his support of me -- not only now but the future. When he's ready to make a comment, I know he will. And that's his right to be able do [it] whenever he feels free, but he has given me the utmost support. And my priority is to our football team and helping our seniors try to get a huge win in their last game in the Coliseum, and that will be my only focus this week."
The embattled USC head coach held his usual conference call with reporters Sunday night and talked at length about things such as gap integrity, moments he lamented from the loss to UCLA and his unwavering focus on trying to prepare the Trojans to challenge unbeaten Notre Dame in their regular-season finale this week.
Outside the walls of the USC football complex, the only talking point is Helton, his future and what athletic director Lynn Swann will do and say this week or next week, etc.
Helton insists in his world, though, it's business as usual with no distractions.
"No, not one thing different. Not one thing," he said Sunday night. "We reported at the same time, had the same offense and defensive staff meeting, had the same injury report meeting, had the same staff meeting we had altogether to discuss personnel and then started game-planning on Notre Dame. Nothing changes for us, and that's the way we'll always be here is we give the most energy and most focus we can on the opponent at hand, no matter if we're doing really well as a team or if you're sitting here at 5-6.
"We are going to give our utmost effort to try to win the next game and nothing changes. So it is status quo right here right now."
Helton walked off the field at the Rose Bowl on Saturday afternoon to jeers and a sign suggesting his time should be up at USC, after the Trojans endured another second-half let-down on the way to a 34-27 loss to a struggling Bruins team that now has just 3 wins and is at the start of a total rebuild under first-year coach Chip Kelly.
The Trojans dropped to 5-6, their most regular-season losses since the 2000 season, which finished 5-7 and cost then-embattled head coach Paul Hackett his job.
But if there are parallels to draw there, Helton doesn't see them or chooses not to see them.
And if he feels any heat at all, he's not letting on publicly.
It was telling Saturday night, though, when Helton was asked again if he had an assurance from Swann that he'll be returning in 2019. Helton deferred that question to Swann just days after answering a similar question by resolutely saying he expected to be the coach at USC for a long time and that Swann has told him he's in it for the long haul.
More questions came Sunday night on the matter. This time, Helton was asked if it would make things easier on him if Swann would come out with a definitive statement on his future -- if the AD does intend to keep his maligned head coach.
"I worry about one thing and that's trying to compete against a good Notre Dame team and trying to help our team win that game. It's not my job to worry about speculation. It's not my job to worry about [things that] are said," Helton responded. "It's my job to be able to raise kids and help them win games. That's all I'm focused on. Everything else will play out the way it is, and like I said, out of honor and respect to Mr. Swann, he'll address it when he feels the appropriate time is.
"All I can say is I've been given every ounce of support that is needed by Mr. Swann to be able to do my job and feel comfortable in his support of me -- not only now but the future. When he's ready to make a comment, I know he will. And that's his right to be able do [it] whenever he feels free, but he has given me the utmost support. And my priority is to our football team and helping our seniors try to get a huge win in their last game in the Coliseum, and that will be my only focus this week."
