USC adds two new coaches to Clay Helton’s staff

USC announced two additions to Clay Helton’s coaching staff Tuesday afternoon, as Chad Kauha’aha’a will be joining the Trojans as defensive line coach and Mike Jinks as running backs coach.

Kauha’aha’a, 45, comes to USC from Boise State, where he served in the same role. Jinks, 46, was most recently at Bowling Green, where he was head coach from 2016 until being fired midseason this year. Jinks was running backs coach at Texas Tech from 2013 through 2015 under new USC offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, the former head coach of the Red Raiders.

Kauha’aha’a (pronounced cow-ha-a-ha-a) spent one season at Boise State after three seasons at Oregon State, where he was also associate head coach the final two seasons in Corvallis.

A Utah graduate who played there from 1993-96, he also coached the defensive line at Wisconsin (2013-14), Utah (2011-12), Utah State (2009-10) and Weber State (2005-08).

A native of Maui, Hawaii, Kauha’aha’a replaces Kenechi Udeze on the USC staff.

Jinks went 7-24 at Bowling Green. He had much more success in his role at Texas Tech, where he was associate head coach in 2015.

In 2014, running back DeAndre Washington became the first Red Raider to rush for 1,000 yards since 1998. That season, Texas Tech, known primarily for its prolific passing offense in Kingsbury’s “Air Raid” system, rushed for 153 yards per game.

In 2015, Texas Tech was second in the nation in total offense (579.5 ypg) and scoring offense (a school-record 45.1 ppg). The Red Raiders rushed for 191.3 yards per game with 34 rushing touchdowns, as Washington rushed for 1,492 yards.

Jinks got his start as a high school football coach in Texas, which should give the Trojans a significant recruiting advantage in the Lone Star State. He was the head coach at Steele High in Cibolo from 2006 to 2012. He went 76-18 at Steele and became a national coach of the year finalist while winning the 2010 Class 5A Division II state championship.

USC has two assistant coach openings remaining — defensive backs coach and wide receivers coach.

Tim Drevno was the running backs coach last season but, for now, appears set to be offensive line coach after stepping in for the fired Neil Callaway.

brady.mccollough@latimes.com

Twitter: @BradyMcCollough