Doug Belk - Football Coach

Doug Belk

Title:
Secondary Coach
Email:
football@usc.edu

Doug Belk, one of the biggest rising stars in college football's coaching landscape, enters his second season as USC’s secondary coach.

In his first season at USC in 2024, Belk’s secondary and the Trojan defense significantly improved. USC held opponents to an average of just 24.1 points per game, improving from 34.4 in 2023. The Trojans finished the 2024 season ranked No. 21 in the nation and No. 2 in the Big Ten Conference in third-down conversion percentage defense (0.335), compared to ranking No. 106 (0.436) in 2023. USC’s defense improved in a variety of other statistical categories including ranking No. 33 in passes intercepted (12) and No. 53 in rushing defense (141.2) in 2024. The Trojan defense ranked No. 58 in turnovers gained by collecting 18 throughout the season and ranked No. 69 in red zone defense (0.830) in 2024. USC finished ranked No. 70 in team passing efficiency defense (132.50), improved to No. 77 in total defense (377.1) and was No. 86 in the nation in first downs defense (262) in 2024.The Trojans concluded the season with a 35-31 victory over Texas A&M in the Las Vegas Bowl. The win marked the biggest comeback victory in Las Vegas Bowl history. Additionally, it was the largest deficit that USC has ever overcome in a bowl game win, with the previous being a 15-point deficit against Penn State in the 2017 Rose Bowl.

Safety Jaylin Smith earned All-Big Ten Third Team honors. He recorded 59 tackles, including 4 for loss of 5 yards, 2 PBUs and tied for a team-leading 2 INTs.

Belk spent the previous 5 seasons (2019-23) at Houston and has held the associate head coach/defensive coordinator role since 2021. From 2019-20, he was a co-defensive coordinator.

In his 5 seasons as a defensive or co-defensive coordinator at Houston, Belk has mentored 13 All-American Athletic Conference honorees, including 5 First Team selections, and 8 All-Big 12 Conference honorees, including 2 First Teamers. Five players from Belk's defenses at Houston were selected in the NFL Draft including DL Payton Turner who was taken in the first round (28^th overall pick – 2021) by the New Orleans Saints and DE Logan Hall who was chosen in the second round (33^rd overall pick – 2022) by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

He rebranded Houston's defensive culture by bringing back a former nickname: The Third Ward Defense. This name emphasized toughness, grit and leaned into the city's history and culture.

After a challenging 2019 season and shortened 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Belk's defensive transformation began to come to fruition in 2021.

In 2021, Belk led one of the best pass defenses in the nation, allowing only 194 yards per game through the air, ranking 18th in the nation. Houston's 55.2 completion percentage allowed ranked eighth nationally. The 20.5 points per game allowed ranked 19th in the country and the 302.2 total yards allowed ranked sixth. The Cougar defensive line, nicknamed "Sack Ave", racked up 45.0 sacks, ranked fifth nationally.

That season, Belk was named a semifinalist for the Broyles Award and was on the 2022 summer edition of Dave Campbell's Texas Football 40 Under 40 list.

In 2022, Houston's defense ranked 10^th nationally in tackles for loss with 7.2 per game. DL D'Anthony Jones led the nation in forced fumbles and DB Jayce Rogers finished second in the conference in interceptions. Four Houston defenders earned all-conference honors during 2022 including Jones as a First Team honoree.

In 2023, DB A.J. Haulcy finished the regular season ranked No. 4 in the nation and No. 1 in the AAC in solo tackles (6.1), while DL Nelson Ceaser was No. 9 in the nation and No. 1 in the AAC in sacks (6.1).

Prior to arriving in Houston, Belk served as the cornerbacks coach at West Virginia for 2 seasons.

The 2017 Mountaineer defense ranked No. 16 nationally in most defensive three-and-outs per game and No. 24 in third-down defense.

The 2018 season saw Belk's cornerbacks play a pivotal role in West Virginia ranking second in the Big 12 and No. 20 nationally with 15 interceptions. CB Keith Washington Jr. tied for fifth in the Big 12 with 3 interceptions on the year. West Virginia recorded 12 interceptions to rank No. 1 in the conference.

From 2014-16, Belk served as a defensive graduate assistant coach at Alabama working with the defensive backs. He worked directly with Head Coach Nick Saban and Defensive Coordinators Kirby Smart and Jeremy Pruitt, assisting with all aspects of the defensive secondary as well as with special teams. During his tenure at Alabama, the Crimson Tide was 40-4, earning 3 College Football Playoff appearances, winning the 2015 National Championship, finishing as national runner-up in 2016 and winning 3 SEC titles (2014-16).

The 2014 Crimson Tide defense was No. 6 nationally in scoring defense and No. 12 nationally in total defense. Belk helped develop S Landon Collins, who finished his senior season as a unanimous All-American selection and was drafted by the New York Giants in the second round.

The 2015 defense was No. 3 nationally in scoring defense and total defense, No. 10 in interceptions and No. 30 in passing yards allowed. Belk tutored S Eddie Jackson, who earned All-American honors as well as CB Minkah Fitzpatrick and CB Marlon Humphrey who were named to freshman All-American teams. He also worked with CB Cyrus Jones who was drafted in the second round by the New York Giants.

The 2016 defense was No. 1 nationally in scoring defense and No. 2 in total defense. The unit was also No. 9 nationally and No. 2 in the SEC in pass efficiency defense, No. 14 in interceptions and No. 24 in passing yards allowed. That season, Fitzpatrick was named a consensus All-American, Humphrey earned All-America First-Team honors and Jackson was an All-SEC First-Teamer.

Prior to Alabama, Belk was the secondary coach at Valdosta State in Valdosta, Ga. from 2012-13. During the 2011 season, he was a defensive assistant and worked with special teams.

During his tenure, the Blazers produced a 24-10 record and won the NCAA Division II National Championship in 2012. Belk coached 2 Division II All-Americans, 2 Academic All-Americans and 3 All-Gulf South Conference selections. CBs Dominique Wheeler and Matt Pierce signed free agent contracts in the NFL with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Tennessee Titans, respectively.