Breaking: Multiple reports surfacing connecting ex-USC coach Clay Helton to Georgia Southern
In case you haven’t been on Twitter in the past couple of hours, you may have missed the multiple reports that have emerged linking ex-USC head man Clay Helton to the Georgia Southern vacancy.
Matt Zenitz of On3 Sports was the first to report the move.
An interesting possibility for the Georgia Southern head coaching job: Former USC coach Clay Helton.
— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) November 2, 2021
Sources have continued to mention him the last few weeks as one of the guys to keep an eye on as a possibility for that job. https://t.co/78VEhXPlx0
Following Zenitz’s report, multiple outlets began linking Helton to Southern as well.
SOURCE: Former USC coach Clay Helton is expected to be hired as the new Ga. Southern head coach. The deal could get finialized within the next 24-48 hours. @MZenitz first reported Helton to Georgia Southern.
— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) November 2, 2021
Sources: Clay Helton has emerged as the top target for the Georgia Southern head coaching job. Expect a deal to be finalized in the near future. https://t.co/QVJ1OlHSjA
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) November 2, 2021
Sources close to @boroherald say Clay Helton announcement as new head coach @GSAthletics_FB could come within the next few days pic.twitter.com/IeDAypLQnR
— Josh Aubrey (@thejoshaubrey) November 2, 2021
This type of move shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise following Georgia Southern Athletic Director Jared Benko’s comments following the firing of Chad Lunsford.
“We have a strong vision for Georgia Southern football, and we are not meeting it,”
“We will have a search committee but ultimately the buck stops with me,” said Benko. “With 20 years in the SEC, I have built a lot of contacts, which I can utilize in the coaching search. I am very confident that when all is said and done, we will have a great candidate here.”
In spite of all the jokes that have been made about his time at Southern Cal, Helton has a very solid resume.
46-24 as a head coach. 2017 Pac-12 Championship. 3x Pac-12 South Division Champs.
| 1995 | Duke (GA) |
|---|---|
| 1996 | Duke (RB) |
| 1997–1999 | Houston (RB) |
| 2000–2002 | Memphis (RB) |
| 2003–2006 | Memphis (WR) |
| 2007–2009 | Memphis (OC/QB) |
| 2010–2011 | USC (QB) |
| 2012 | USC (QB) |
| 2013 | USC (OC/QB) |
| 2013 | USC (interim HC) |
| 2014 | USC (OC/QB) |
| 2015 | USC (OC/QB/interim HC) |
| 2015–2021 | USC |
If Helton is indeed hired, as it seems he will be, the questions from the outside will be centered around what type of offense he will bring. Georgia Southern is famous for it’s triple-option attack, but inside the Eagles fanbase fans care less about how and more about results.
The tradition around the program is enough to get a good coach. They need to move away from the option. It’s not Georgia Tech where they can’t recruit talent because of academic requirements. This is a hotbed for recruiting and they would get better players with a new offense
— RIP Georgia Sports Curse (@chrisjherold) September 26, 2021