Holt Gets Reacquainted With Players

Nick Holt said hello again to USC football players on Thursday as the former Trojan assistant officially rejoined Pete Carroll’s staff as defensive coordinator.

“It’s like I never left,” Holt said after a team meeting in Heritage Hall. “It’s great to be back with [Carroll] and to see all the young guys now that they’ve kind of grown up.”

Holt was lured back this week shortly after he resigned as head coach at Idaho after two seasons to become defensive line coach for the St. Louis Rams.

Holt will also oversee the defensive line, a position group that was left without a coach when Jethro Franklin accepted an offer from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Greg Burns, who coached USC defensive backs, also is joining the Buccaneers.

Franklin and Burns said the chance to work under defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin was too much of an opportunity to pass up. Kiffin, the father of Trojan offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin, is regarded by Carroll as a mentor. “It was a hard decision, but I respect [Monte Kiffin] so much, I almost feel obligated,” said Franklin. “At the same time, my goal is to be a head coach and I thought that it could help me in that direction.”

Burns said he was not seeking an NFL job but was contacted by Tampa Bay.

“I get to work for a guy who taught Coach Carroll so it’s an awesome deal,” Burns said.

Carroll expected to have his staff in place in a few days.

Rocky Seto, who shares linebacker-coaching duties with Ken Norton Jr., and previously coached safeties, could move to the secondary. David Watson, a graduate assistant who helped with the offensive line in 2005, could move to the defensive side.