Texas Football: Todd Orlando could join USC instead of Texas Tech
Former Texas football defensive coordinator Todd Orlando could be on the move to join the USC Trojans reportedly instead of Texas Tech.
A former third-year defensive coordinator with the Texas football program, Todd Orlando, could be on the move yet again after he already seemingly landed with another team. Orlando was let go from Texas to finally be separated from head coach Tom Herman after they remained together since they’re days on the coaching staff with the Houston Cougars.
Since his departure from the Texas Longhorns football program, the narrative surrounding Orlando’s coaching search is a confusing one. He was originally to join the Big 12 foe Texas Tech Red Raiders under a familiar face associated with him, with head coach Matt Wells. Orlando was on staff with Wells during his time as the head coach with the Utah State Aggies in the Mountain West.
According to a report that surfaced on the Twitter timeline of Yahoo Sports college football insider Pete Thamel on Jan. 20, Orlando could be linking up with head coach Clay Helton and the USC Trojans to be their next defensive coordinator.
Sources: USC working toward a deal to make Todd Orlando defensive coordinator. Orlando was defensive coordinator at Texas, Houston, Utah State and FIU. He brings a history of strong performances/improvements in Year 1.
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) January 20, 2020
What is also ironic about the possible hiring of Orlando with the Trojans is how coaching ties went between USC and Texas Tech last offseason. USC hired away former Texas Tech head coach Kliff Kingsbury as their offensive coordinator after he was shown the door in Lubbock. But Kliff never called plays as the USC offensive coordinator in an actual game before he joined the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals to be their head coach.
Orlando could be one of the two major coordinators for USC. And there’s ties between the other USC coordinator and the Longhorns. Herman and the Longhorns interviewed USC offensive coordinator Graham Harrell (also a former Texas Tech quarterback) to fill their vacancy prior to the Alamo Bowl win over the Utah Utes.
But the elusive Harrell-Herman connection never came to fruition and the Longhorns wound up hiring the former Ohio State Buckeyes passing game coordinator Mike Yurcich to be their next offensive coordinator.
And after the firing of Orlando from Texas, the next defensive coordinator hire under Herman became former Rutgers head coach Chris Ash. There are connections between Ash and Herman dating back to the Ohio State days.
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USC finished up their 2019 season with a record of 8-5 (7-2 PAC-12). They lost in the Holiday Bowl to the Iowa Hawkeyes. But the Trojans will be returning one of the most experienced teams in the PAC-12 next season, behind the likes of star to-be sophomore quarterback Kedon Slovis.