Joe Barry, a former USC linebacker and assistant coach who spent the previous 10 years coaching in the NFL, has been officially hired as the new linebackers coach, new head coach Lane Kiffin announced today.
"When we were hired, we said we would put together the best coaching staff in the country," Kiffin said. "In Joe Barry, we've hit a home run. He was the only linebacker coach we went after and, although it took a while, we're excited to bring him back to the Trojan Family. He is an outstanding coach who has been part of Rose Bowl and Super Bowl championship teams, and he has produced some great linebackers during his terrific NFL career. One day, he'll be a great head coach as well."
The 39-year-old Barry, who played for the Trojans in 1992-93, was the linebackers coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2009. Previously, he was defensive coordinator of the Detroit Lions in 2007-08. He has worked in the NFL since 2000, including a six-year stint (2001-06) as the Buccaneers linebackers coach, when he worked under current USC defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin. Barry was a staffer on the 2002 Super Bowl champions that led the league in total defense and scoring defense. He had seven Pro Bowl linebackers in six seasons with Tampa Bay.
Barry began his coaching career at USC in 1994, when he was the team's video coordinator. In 1995, he became a graduate assistant with the defensive line, helping lead the Trojans to a Rose Bowl championship.
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Barry, who also worked at Northern Arizona and UNLV before breaking into the NFL with the San Francisco 49ers in 2000, received his bachelor's degree in communication from USC in 1994. His father-in-law, Rod Marinelli, is a long-time college (Utah State, California, Arizona State) and pro (Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Chicago Bears) assistant who had stints as a USC assistant (1995) and as the Lions' head coach (2006-08).
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