USC Assistant Lindsey Quits : College football: Defensive coordinator had ‘a kind of clash’ with Robinson at end of season.

Don Lindsey, apparently at odds with Coach John Robinson, abruptly resigned Wednesday as USC’s defensive coordinator.

Lindsey, 51, whose defense has been criticized recently, left after a meeting with Robinson Wednesday.

Said a team source, “It was kind of a clash, toward the end of the season. John has his own philosophy of defense, and Lindsey is kind of a ‘it’s my way or the highway’ kind of guy, and it came to a head.”

Lindsey could not be reached Wednesday.

“This decision was reached mutually between Don and I and is effective immediately,” said Robinson, in a brief USC news release.

“He has been released from his responsibilities now so he can pursue other coaching opportunities.”

USC completed a 7-3-1 regular season and will play Texas Tech in the Cotton Bowl on Jan. 2. Lindsey, who has worked for some of the most prominent head coaches in modern American football, had completed his second season under Robinson and, like Robinson, was in his second term as a USC coach.

The Trojan defense has been under criticism of late, and Robinson was one of the critics.

In the 31-19 loss to UCLA on Nov. 19, Robinson was visibly unhappy afterward that UCLA had rushed for 232 yards against the Trojans. And Notre Dame netted 226 yards on the ground in the Irish-Trojan tie last Saturday.

“The thing that disappoints me more than anything is how they were able to run on us,” said Robinson, moments after the loss to UCLA.

One reason is that UCLA’s offensive line overpowered USC’s defensive front in the second half, a fact commented upon by USC players afterward. In the Notre Dame game, the Irish netted 341 total yards and had the ball 38 minutes 30 seconds, to USC’s 21:30.

Lindsey’s defense played most of the season with a core of four seniors, all at linebacker and in the secondary.

All his defensive front starters at season’s end were freshmen and sophomores.

Senior linebackers Brian Williams and Jeff Kopp led the team in tackles. Remaining senior starters were linebackers Errol Small and Donn Cunnigan and cornerback John Herpin.

During USC’s late-season, five-game winning streak, Lindsey worried about mental fatigue on the part of his players, particularly after the hard-fought victories over Washington State (23-10) and Arizona (45-28).

“We’re giving up yards, but we’re hanging in there on giving up points,” he had said.

“We’ve been scratching and clawing, every down. Are they (the players) mentally tired? I don’t know. That’s a hard thing to tell.”

Lindsey coached under John McKay at USC from 1971-75.

Never a head coach, Lindsey worked on staffs led by Bear Bryant (Alabama, 1965-66); Jim Sweeney (Montana State and Washington State, 1967-69); Frank Broyles (Arkansas, 1970); McKay, Robinson (1976-80); Lou Holtz (Arkansas, 1981-83); Bill Curry (Georgia Tech, Alabama, 1984-90) and Bob Stull (Missouri, 1992).

A year ago, speaking of his second USC stint under Robinson, Lindsey said: “I never in my career enjoyed coaching football as much as I did in my years with Robinson.”

“He makes sure the game is fun for everyone around him. I just enjoy sitting around with him and talking about football.”

However, Lindsey may not have had much fun lately.

Lindsey was Robinson’s first hire in January 1993, after he was hired for a second term as USC’s head coach. In fact, Robinson said later his first football call upon getting the job was to Lindsey.

Robinson hired Lindsey as offensive coordinator, but that lasted one week. Mike Nolan had joined Robinson as defensive coordinator but left after a week to take a job with the New York Giants.

Robinson said at USC’s football awards banquet Wednesday night that he would not discuss the matter until today.

The move stunned some players. Matt Keneley, starting defensive tackle, said, “I was surprised, all of us were surprised. I was coming out of class and John Herpin and Scott Fields told me. I was totally surprised.”

Said linebacker Israel Ifeanyi: “I was shocked. When I heard it, I thought it was just a rumor.”