USC football: Chris Wilson hired to coach defensive line

Chris Wilson, Georgia’s defensive line coach last season, has been hired as defensive line coach at USC, Trojans Coach Steve Sarkisian announced Friday.

“We are thrilled to add Chris Wilson to our coaching staff,” Sarkisian said in a statement. “He is one of the premier defensive line coaches in the country and he is also a great recruiter.”

Wilson was defensive coordinator at Mississippi State before joining Georgia’s staff. The former Oklahoma linebacker also coached at Oklahoma, Colorado, Illinois State, Army and Indiana State, USC said in its release announcing his hiring.

“I’m extremely excited to join Coach Sarkisian’s staff and to have the opportunity to be at a university with the tradition of USC,” Wilson said in a statement. “I believe we can be as good as any team in the country.”

Sarkisian had been trying to complete his staff with a defensive line coach.

He had expressed interest in bringing Tosh Lupoi with him from Washington, but Lupoi is under investigation by the NCAA for allegedly paying for tutoring and online classes for former Huskies recruit Andrew Basham.

Lupoi has denied violating NCAA rules in the recruitment of Basham. Washington and Lupoi agreed to a mutual separation this week.

On Jan. 7 Sarkisian announced that former Texas assistant Bo Davis was the Trojans’ defensive line coach.

But on Monday, Sarkisian said Davis had changed his mind because of family reasons and accepted a job at Alabama.