Football
- Title:
- Quarterbacks Coach
- Email:
- ctaplin@usc.edu
- Phone:
- (213) 740-4204
It didn’t take long for Clay Helton to make his mark as USC football’s head coach.
The 48-year-old Helton is 45-23 (.662) as the Trojan head coach, with 12 victories over AP Top 25 teams, including 3 in the Top 5 and 4 in the Top 10. He was 5-1 in a pandemic-shortened 2020. He was 8-5 in 2019, with wins over No. 23 Stanford and No. 10 Utah. He was 5-7 in 2018, with a win over No. 19 Colorado. He went 11-3 in 2017 with wins over No. 14 Stanford twice (including in the Pac-12 Championship Game) and No. 23 Arizona, 10-3 in 2016 with wins over No. 4 Washington, No. 5 Penn State in a legendary Rose Bowl thriller and No. 21 Colorado, 5-4 in 2015 with wins over No. 3 Utah and No. 22 UCLA, and 1-0 in 2013, beating No. 21 Fresno State.
He was the first USC head coach to have 10-win seasons in each of his first 2 full seasons and he had more wins (21) in his first 2 full seasons than any USC coach. He led USC to a 19-game home winning streak from 2015 to 2018 (its longest since 2001-04), a 14-game Pac-12 home game winning streak from 2015 to 2018 (its longest since 2001 to 2004), a 13-game overall winning streak from 2016 to 2017 (its longest since 2003-04) and a 13-game winning streak over Power 5 opponents from 2016 to 2017. He is 26-5 in the Coliseum. He is 36-13 (.735) versus Pac-12 foes, including 24-4 (.857) against the Pac-12 South. Two of his career losses came while serving as USC’s interim head coach.
His 2020 Trojans won their first 5 games in the COVID-10-shortened season and played in the Pac-12 Championship Game as the South Division representative, finishing 5-1 (USC opted out of a bowl game). The Trojans staged 3 dramatic comeback victories, all in the final 2 minutes: over Arizona State (game-winning score with 1:20 to go), Arizona (0:25) and UCLA (0:16).
USC’s passing offense ranked 11th nationally (first in Pac-12) at 319.3. Quarterback Kedon Slovis made All-Pac-12 first team while ranking in the national Top 20 in completions (first at 29.5), passing yards (sixth at 320.2), total offense (13th at 310.7) and completion percentage (18th at .670), all tops in the Pac-12. Wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown also was an All-Pac-12 first teamer. Offensive tackle Alijah-Vera Tucker made All-Pac-12 and was the Pac-12 offensive Morris Trophy winner (top lineman). USC’s defense improved dramatically from the previous year, allowing 369.7 total yards (to 408.7 in 2019), including just 216.3 passing (to 246.2 in 2019). The Trojans had 16 takeaways in the shortened 6-game 2020 season after getting 16 in 13 games in 2019. Safety Talanoa Hufanga was a consensus All-American first teamer and the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year and defensive lineman Marlon Tuipulotu made All-Pac-12 first team. USC’s special teams were ranked No. 1 nationally by Football Outsider and the Trojans were in the national Top 25 in NCAA statistics in kickoff return defense (10th at 17.0) and net punting (25th at 40.8). True freshman Parker Lewis was 20th nationally in field goals (1.6), Gary Bryant Jr. (also a true freshman) was 22nd in kickoff returns (26.2), Ben Griffith’s 46.4 punting average was the highest by a Trojan since 2003 and snapper Damon Johnson was a Mannelly Award finalist.
His 2019 Trojans, with only 4 senior starters and despite being marred by injuries in which 26 starters or key backups missed action, rebounded well from a down 2018 season. USC won 5 of its last 6 regular season games to go 8-5 overall and 7-2 in the Pac-12 South, qualifying for the Holiday Bowl. The Trojans gave Utah its only regular season loss (for which he was named the Dodd Trophy Coach of the Week). Two of USC’s losses were by a field goal, including one in overtime on the road. Troy did this despite starting 3 different quarterbacks and entering games down to a fourth-string tailback or with 4 defensive starters out or missing both starting cornerbacks or both starting defensive ends.
Wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr., who won the 2019 Pop Warner College Football Award and was a finalist for the Biletnikoff and Witten Awards, was in the national Top 20 in receptions, receiving yards and receiving TDs. He caught 101 passes with 11 touchdowns, while fellow wideouts Amon-Ra St. Brown (77 catches) and Tyler Vaughns (74 catches) each had 6 TDs. True freshman quarterback Kedon Slovis, who was the Pac-12 Offensive Freshman of the Year, completed a school-record and NCAA freshman record 71.9% of his passes for a USC frosh record 3,502 yards with 30 TDs, including a school-record 515 passing yards against UCLA (one of a USC record 4 games with 400-plus passing yards), to rank in the national Top 20 in completion percentage, passing yards, completions, passing efficiency, passing TD and total offense. Offensive tackle Austin Jackson and defensive lineman Jay Tufele joined Pittman on the All-Pac-12 first team, while Slovis and defensive lineman Drake Jackson were Freshman All-American first teamers. Jackson was an NFL Draft first rounder and Pittman went in the second round. USC’s offense averaged 455 total yards, including a school-record 335 passing, and 32 points a game.
His 2018 Trojans--which featured young players in key positions--were 5-7 overall, with the last 4 losses all by 7 points or less, and went 4-5 in Pac-12 play. JT Daniels, who threw for 2,672 yards for USC just a season after graduating high school a year early, was just the second Trojan true freshman to start a season opener at quarterback. Wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown was just the fourth USC true freshman to lead the Trojans in season receptions (60). Defensive lineman Jay Tufele was a Freshman All-American first teamer. Inside linebacker Cameron Smith was the first Trojan in nearly 40 years to lead the team in tackles in 3 consecutive years. Iman Marshall was USC’s first four-year starting cornerback in 20 years.
In 2017 while guiding USC’s 125th team, his Trojans were 11-3 (ranked 12th in the final AP poll) despite playing all 12 regular season games without a bye. It was USC’s most wins since 2008 and its first back-to-back 10-win seasons since 2007-08. He led USC to an 8-1 Pac-12 record (the loss was by 3 points on a Friday night on the road on a late field goal) and its first Pac-12 title since 2008 by winning the Pac-12 Championship Game (the first ever by a South Division team). Troy played in the Cotton Bowl Classic. He was the 2017 AP Pac-12 Coach of the Yearand a finalist for the 2017 Paul “Bear” Bryant Coach of the Year Award (the second consecutive year he has been a finalist).
Tailback Ronald Jones II and outside linebacker Uchenna Nwosu were All-American first teamers (Jones had his second straight 1,000-yard rushing season and was a finalist for the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award), quarterback Sam Darnold was a finalist for the Manning Award (he set USC’s season passing yardage and total yardage records) and was the third pick of the NFL Draft and defensive lineman Rasheem Green, inside linebacker Cameron Smith, safety Marvell Tell III and wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. joined that trio on the All-Pac-12 first team, while wide receiver Deontay Burnett had 1,000 receiving yards. USC’s 484.1 yards of total offense in 2017 was its highest average since 2005 (and that was on the heels of 2016’s 477.1, the previous high since 2005). The Trojans had at least 600 yards of total offense 3 times in 2017 (the other Pac-12 teams combined had 6). USC’s defense tied for the national lead in sacks (46) in 2017.
After the 2017 season, Helton had his contract extended through the 2023 season.
After his Trojans started off 1-3 in 2016 in his first full season as head coach (all 3 losses were to AP Top 25 teams away from home), USC went on a 9-game winning streak (its longest since 2008-09) to rise to a final No. 3 national AP ranking (USC’s highest since 2008 and the highest ever of any 3-loss team) and earn a berth in the Rose Bowl (finishing second in the Pac-12 South at 7-2) while playing a schedule ranked among the 10 most difficult in the nation. Troy capped the season with an instant classic 52-49 at-the-gun victory over No. 5 Penn State in the Rose Bowl. He guided USC to wins over UCLA and Notre Dame and in the Rose Bowl, just the 13th season that has happened in Trojan history. USC was perfect (6-0) at home for the first time since 2008 and undefeated in the greater Los Angeles area (8-0). His Trojans beat both teams (No. 4 Washington and No. 21 Colorado) that played in the Pac-12 Championship Game.
Under Helton’s guidance in 2016, Adoree’ Jackson was named the Thorpe Award winner, a consensus All-American first teamer, the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year and a finalist for the Hornung Award and Lott IMPACT Trophy (he also was an NFL first rounder). Sam Darnold was a Manning Award finalist and a Freshman All-American first teamer and both Zach Banner and Chad Wheeler were All-American first team and All-Pac-12 first team picks. USC’s offense had at least 400 total yards in its last 10 games, while its defense held 7 opponents to season lows in points. Helton was named a finalist for the 2016 Paul “Bear” Bryant Coach of the Year Award and won the Football Writers First Year Co-Coach of the Year Award. He served as the grand marshal of the 2017 Long Beach Grand Prix and he threw out the first pitch at a Dodgers game in April.
After starting the 2015 season as the offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach, Helton was named USC’s permanent head coach on Nov. 30 of that year (for 2 post-season games), dropping the interim head coach title he had held since Oct. 12 (for USC’s final 7 regular season games). He signed a 5-year contract.
Helton guided the 2015 Trojans to 5 wins in the last 6 regular-season games (including victories over No. 3 Utah and No. 22 UCLA), the co-championship of the challenging Pac-12 South Division, a berth in the Pac-12 Championship Game and a trip to the Holiday Bowl. He was named the 2015 Los Angeles Sports Council Coach of the Year.
As the coordinator of USC’s offense in 2015, the Trojans ranked ninth nationally in fumbles lost (5) , 11th in both passes had intercepted (7) and completion percentage (.667), 16th in fourth down conversions (.654) and 20th in passing efficiency (153.6). USC averaged 437.9 total yards and 33.9 points a game. Quarterback Cody Kessler, a finalist for the Unitas Award and a NFL Draft third round pick, ranked in the national Top 20 in completion percentage (13th at .668), passing TDs (15th at 29) and passing efficiency (19th at 151.7). Kessler ended his career in USC’s career Top 4 in TD passes, completions, passing yards and total offense (and set school career records for completion percentage and interception rate). All-Pac-12 first team wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster was in the Top 20 nationally in receiving yards (11th at 103.9), receiving TDs (17th at 10) and receptions (20th at 6.4). Tailbacks Justin Davis and Ronald Jones II each had 900-plus yard rushing seasons. Jones set the USC frosh season rushing record and was just the second Trojan first-year freshman to top the squad in rushing.
Helton joined the USC staff in February of 2010 as the quarterbacks coach after spending 10 seasons as an assistant at Memphis. He added the passing game coordinator role in 2012 and became the offensive coordinator in 2013.
In 2014, quarterback Cody Kessler had the most efficient passing season in USC history (69.7%, 39 TDs, 5 interceptions) while setting USC season records for completions (315), completion percentage (69.7), passing efficiency (167.1) and interception rate (1.11) and tying USC season marks for TD passes (39) and 300-yard passing games (7). He also threw a school record 7 TD passes against Colorado and a Notre Dame opponents record 6 TDs against the Irish. USC’s offense ranked in the national Top 25 in passing efficiency, passing offense, third down conversions and scoring offense in 2014. USC played in the 2014 Holiday Bowl.
In 2013, he served as USC’s interim head coach in its victory over Fresno State in the Las Vegas Bowl. The Trojan offense was in the national Top 25 in red zone scoring.
In 2012, quarterback Matt Barkley won the Wuerrfel Trophy and was a finalist for the Manning Award, Unitas Golden Arm Award, Senior CLASS Award and ARA Sportsmanship Award as he became the Pac-12 career recordholder for passing yards (12,327), completions (1,001), touchdowns (116) and total offense (12,214). He also was a 2012 National Football Foundation National Scholar-Athlete. He was a fourth round pick in the 2013 NFL draft. USC played in the 2012 Sun Bowl.
In 2011, Barkley was a Manning Award and Wuerrfel Trophy finalist as he set the Pac-12 season record for TD passes (39) and the USC season mark for pass completion percentage (69.1%), as well as school game standards for completions (35), pass yardage (468), passing TDs (6) and total offense (470). He was eighth nationally in passing efficiency and 16th in total offense. He finished sixth in the Heisman Trophy voting.
Helton began his 10-year (2000-09) Memphis career as the running backs coach for 3 seasons, then coached the Tigers’ receivers for the next 4 seasons before becoming the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach the final 3 years. He served as Memphis’ interim head coach for several months in early 2006 when head coach Tommie West had off-season heart surgery.
Among the Tigers’ running backs he tutored was school rushing/scoring/all-purpose running recordholder DeAngelo Williams, who went on to finish seventh in the Heisman Trophy voting in 2005 and be an NFL first round selection.
As the receivers coach, he produced a pair of Conference USA All-Freshman picks in Maurice Jones (2005) and Duke Calhoun (2006), as well as the school’s No. 4 all-time receptions leader in Ryan Scott. In 2003, Memphis set school season records for receptions and receiving yardage.
As the Tigers’ offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, the 2007 and 2008 offenses were among the top 6 in school history in total yards and points. Both squads were ranked in the top 26 nationally in total offense. Quarterback Martin Hankins became Memphis’ No. 2 career passer and set single season records for completions, passing yards and touchdown passes in 2007. In 2009, Curtis Steele had his second consecutive season with 1,000 rushing yards, Calhoun became the school’s all-time leading receiver and Carlos Singleton set the career mark for receiving touchdowns.
Memphis played in 5 bowls during Helton’s time: the 2003 and 2007 New Orleans Bowls, 2004 GMAC Bowl, 2005 Motor City Bowl and 2008 St. Petersburg Bowl.
Helton was hired as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Arkansas State after the 2009 season, but was there just 2 months before coming to USC.
Before Memphis, he was the running backs coach at Houston, his alma mater, for 3 seasons (1997-99), working under his father, head coach Kim Helton.
He began his coaching career at Duke, serving as a graduate assistant in 1995 and then the running backs coach in 1996.
He played quarterback at Houston in 1993 and 1994, playing for his father both seasons and captaining the Cougars as a 1994 senior. In 1993, he completed 1-of-3 passes in late duty in Houston’s 49-7 loss to USC in the Coliseum.
He spent 1991 and 1992 at Auburn, where he earned 1992 SEC All-Academic honors. He redshirted there in 1990.
He earned his bachelor’s degree in mathematics and interdisciplinary science from Houston in 1994.
He prepped at Clements High in Sugar Land (Tex.)
He was born on June 24, 1972. He and his wife, Angela, have 3 children: sons Reid, 23, and Turner, 17, and daughter Aubrey, 21. Besides being Houston’s head coach from 1993 to 1999, his father, Kim, was an assistant in college (Florida, Miami and Alabama Birmingham), the NFL (Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Houston Oilers, Los Angeles Raiders, Washington Redskins) and the CFL (Toronto Argonauts) following his playing career at Florida. His brother, Tyson, was the quarterbacks coach and pass game coordinator at USC (2016-17) until becoming Tennessee’s offensive coordinator in 2018 and now the head coach at Western Kentucky (he previously had assistant coaching stops at Western Kentucky, Cincinnati, Alabama Birmingham, Memphis and Hawaii and played at Houston).
HELTON SNAPSHOT
BIRTHDAY: June 24, 1972
FAMILY: Wife, Angela; Sons, Reid, 24, and Turner, 18; Daughter, Aubrey, 22
HIGH SCHOOL: Clements HS, Sugar Land, Tex.
EDUCATION: Bachelor's degree, mathematics and interdisciplinary science, Houston, 1994
PLAYING EXPERIENCE: Clements HS, Sugar Land, Tex.
Auburn, quarterback, 1991-92
Houston, quarterback, 1993-94
COACHING EXPERIENCE: 26 years
| YEAR | TEAM | POSITION | BOWL |
| 1995 | Duke | Graduate Assistant | -- |
| 1996 | Duke | Running Backs | -- |
| 1997 | Houston | Running Backs | -- |
| 1998 | Houston | Running Backs | -- |
| 1999 | Houston | Running Backs | -- |
| 2000 | Memphis | Running Backs | -- |
| 2001 | Memphis | Running Backs | -- |
| 2002 | Memphis | Running Backs | -- |
| 2003 | Memphis | Receivers | New Orleans |
| 2004 | Memphis | Receivers | GMAC |
| 2005 | Memphis | Receivers | Motor City |
| 2006 | Memphis | Receivers | -- |
| 2007 | Memphis | Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks | New Orleans |
| 2008 | Memphis | Offensive Coordinator/ Quarterbacks | St. Petersburg |
| 2009 | Memphis | Offensive Coordinator/ Quarterbacks | -- |
| 2010 | USC | Quarterbacks | -- |
| 2011 | USC | Quarterbacks | -- |
| 2012 | USC | Passing Game Coord./Quarterbacks | Sun |
| 2013 | USC | Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks* | Las Vegas |
| 2014 | USC | Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks | Holiday |
| 2015 | USC | Off. Coord./QBs/Head Coach# | Holiday |
| 2016 | USC | Head Coach (10-3) | Rose |
| 2017 | USC | Head Coach (11-3) | Cotton |
| 2018 | USC | Head Coach (5-7) | -- |
| 2019 | USC | Head Coach (8-5) | Holiday |
| 2020 | USC | Head Coach (5-1) | -- |
*1-0 as USC's interim head coach for bowl game
#5-2 as USC's interim head coach for last 7 games of regular season and 0-2 as permanent head coach in post-season
