USC Hires Ekeler as Special Teams Coach, Nears Patterson Deal

USC head coach Lincoln Riley has made significant moves to overhaul the Trojans' coaching staff this offseason, hiring Nebraska's Mike Ekeler as special teams coordinator and advancing toward naming former TCU coach Gary Patterson as defensive coordinator. These changes come after a 9-4 season in 2025, USC's first in the Big Ten, where deficiencies in special teams and defensive consistency contributed to close losses and an early exit from postseason play.

Ekeler, a 2025 Broyles Award nominee for top assistant coach, joins USC after one transformative season at Nebraska. There, he elevated the Huskers' special teams rankings dramatically: kickoff coverage improved from 92nd nationally in 2024 to 12th in 2025, punt coverage from 114th to 14th, kickoff returns from 100th to 13th, and punt returns from 111th to 17th. Nebraska blocked three kicks, tying for ninth nationally, and produced standout returners like Kenneth Williams, who averaged 32.9 yards per kick return to earn second-team All-Big Ten honors.

The hire addresses USC's glaring special teams struggles last season. The Trojans ranked 132nd in punt coverage and 129th in kickoff coverage, allowing 26.3 yards per return,...