Trojans’ Defense Gets New, Young Look

New USC Coach Paul Hackett announced his most important coaching hire Friday, naming Bill Young as defensive coordinator.

Young, 51, has been defensive coordinator at Oklahoma, Ohio State and Tulsa. He recently resigned after two years at Oklahoma in the wake of a 3-8 season during which the Sooners ranked 90th among 112 Division I-A teams in scoring defense.

Oklahoma gave up almost 32 points a game, a statistic affected by a 69-7 loss to top-ranked Nebraska that was the worst in school history. The Sooners ranked 61st in passing defense and 86th in rushing defense.

However, in eight seasons at Ohio State, Young oversaw defenses that twice ranked in the top 10 nationally, in 1992 and ’94. Three of his last five Buckeye defensive units led the Big Ten in scoring defense.

“Bill is one of the most well-respected and experienced defensive coaches in the country,” Hackett said. “I’m confident he’ll do an outstanding job coordinating the Trojan defense.”

Young, who also has coached at Oklahoma State, Iowa State and Arizona State during a 21-year career as a college assistant, was one of four Oklahoma assistants who either quit or were fired after the troubled program’s season.

Young said inexperience and lack of depth affected the defense, which also struggled because of turnovers.

The position of defensive coordinator emerged as Hackett’s key hire because he will orchestrate much of the Trojan offense himself.