I caught up with Clay Helton on Wednesday night as he was about to leave on the team bus and asked about a report stating former USC assistant (and current 49ers linebackers coach) Clancy Pendergast would likely be his defensive coordinator. Here's our entire conversation:
Are you hiring Clancy Pendergast to be your defensive coordinator?
Helton: "We haven't offered a job to anybody yet. We've just been finishing up the bowl game and guys are still playing games. I'm going to talk to a lot of guys, but there has not been a job offered to anybody yet."
Have you talked to Pendergast?
Helton: "I've talked to several guys, I'll leave it at that."
Have you offered anyone else for the other vacancies on your staff?
Helton: "No, I'm still working on it. Obviously we tried to win a ballgame tonight. Over the next two weeks, by Jan. 14 I hope to have everything done. Over the next two weeks I'm going to be talking to several men, but nobody has been hired at any positions yet."
Su'a Cravens offered a ringing endorsement for his former coordinator to coach what is now his former team.
"Pendergast made me the DB that I am today," Cravens said. "He's a great coach, probably one of my favorite DB coaches. If he is coming back I expect USC's defense to be one of the top if not the top in the Pac-12."
Are you hiring Clancy Pendergast to be your defensive coordinator?
Helton: "We haven't offered a job to anybody yet. We've just been finishing up the bowl game and guys are still playing games. I'm going to talk to a lot of guys, but there has not been a job offered to anybody yet."
Have you talked to Pendergast?
Helton: "I've talked to several guys, I'll leave it at that."
Have you offered anyone else for the other vacancies on your staff?
Helton: "No, I'm still working on it. Obviously we tried to win a ballgame tonight. Over the next two weeks, by Jan. 14 I hope to have everything done. Over the next two weeks I'm going to be talking to several men, but nobody has been hired at any positions yet."
Su'a Cravens offered a ringing endorsement for his former coordinator to coach what is now his former team.
"Pendergast made me the DB that I am today," Cravens said. "He's a great coach, probably one of my favorite DB coaches. If he is coming back I expect USC's defense to be one of the top if not the top in the Pac-12."
