As expected, USC coach Lane Kiffin stayed in the Pac-12 to replace his dad, Monte Kiffin, at the defensive coordinator spot.
In a release on Friday, Kiffin announced that former Cal DC Clancy Pendergast has a brilliant name will join the Trojans program in the same capacity.
“Clancy is a perfect fit for us,” said Kiffin in a statement. “He is a very experienced and successful defensive coordinator. He plays an attacking-style defense with multiple looks and, having spent the last three years in the Pac-12, he knows how to defend the various kinds of offenses that we see in this conference.
“What was particularly appealing to me was how he took a Cal defense that was seventh in the Pac-12 in total defense the year before he arrived and then led the league his first two years. That’s our goal here, to have that same kind of impact. I also liked that he has coached at the highest level, getting to the Super Bowl in the NFL.”
In 2010 and ’11, Cal led the Pac-12 in total defense and pass defense. However, the Golden Bears ranked 93rd and 106th in the nation in those categories this past season.
Pendergast previously served as a DC at the NFL level with the Arizona Cardinals Kansas City Chiefs.
USC finished 7-6 this year and gave up an average of 33 points per game during the final six games of the year, including a Sun Bowl loss to Georgia Tech.