Defensive coaches with Trojan ties are on the move in the NFL this week with Kris Richard, Ken Norton Jr. and Clancy Pendergast all being named to new positions around the league.Richard (pictured) was named as the defensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks this past week after serving as the secondary coach for the last four seasons. Richard played for Pete Carroll at USC from 1998-2001 and was drafted in the third round of the 2002 NFL Draft by the Seahawks. He played cornerback for the Seahawks, Dolphins and 49ers before leaving the league to join Carroll again and become a graduate assistant at USC. In 2010, Richard followed Carroll back to Seattle and has been an integral part in building the dominant Seahawks secondary known as the "Legion of Boom".
Departing Seattle this week is Ken Norton Jr. - USC's linebackers coach from 2004-09 - who was recently named the defensive coordinator for the Oakland Raiders. At USC, Norton coached many Trojan greats including Lofa Tatupu, Keith Rivers, Brian Cushing, Clay Matthews III and Rey Maualuga. Like Richard, he also joined Carroll in Seattle in 2010 and continued to serve as linebackers coach. Norton will be joining the newly assembled coaching staff of first-year Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio.
Former USC defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast is also taking his talents to a West Coast NFL franchise to serve as the San Francisco 49ers linebackers coach. Pendergast coached for the Cowboys, Browns, Cardinals, Chiefs from 1996-2009 before entering the college football landscape. He was the defensive coordinator for the California Bears from 2010-12 and then served as the USC defensive coordinator in 2013 under head coach Lane Kiffin.
