USC to Keep Clay Helton as Head Coach in 2020 Despite Earlier Erroneous Reports
By Adam Weinrib
The sports media world was thrown for a loop over the weekend when a report emerged from Sports Illustrated indicating that USC head coach Clay Helton would not return in 2020 as the school prepared a high-profile pursuit of an unnamed big name coach.
Then, the whole world remembered what "Sports Illustrated" represents now, and went about their business, publishing retractions instead.
Several days after the initial mania, Pete Thamel is now reporting that Helton will remain in his position for the upcoming season.
Breaking: Memo obtained by @YahooSports shows Clay Helton will be coach at USC in 2020. Also details the athletic department's thinking behind the move. Details: https://t.co/PN6WXwZJZl
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) December 4, 2019
Shortly after Thamel's report, replete with serious sourcing, the university itself announced the news.
I am pleased to let you know Coach Helton will continue to be our head coach.
— Mike Bohn (@USC_mikebohn) December 4, 2019
His commitment to our student-athletes and to leading with integrity is vital to restoring our championship program, which is the goal for all of our teams.
The shell of SI has, of course, not removed the initial inaccurate report, and the college football world now has its own @KenRosenthai.
????????: USC to dismiss head coach Clay Helton, per multiple sourceshttps://t.co/oDJjfQszqn
— Adam Maya (@AdamJMaya) December 1, 2019
Helton holds a 40-21 record at USC, which is more than serviceable, but far from the dominant mark of a premier program; USC has clearly fallen a tier or two in the past decade. Of course, 2019 was supposed to be a banner year for Helton, but then he lost his high-impact OC splash Kliff Kingsbury to the NFL before it even began, and his QB JT Daniels was felled in the opener.
2020 may be his last chance, but at least he'll get to live it out.