Chad Bowden and Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman labored collectively to construct a program that led the Preventing Irish to a nationwide championship sport berth.
So, when USC employed Bowden away from South Bend on Jan. 24 to turn out to be the Trojans’ latest common supervisor — an ever-growing title and place within the trendy school soccer panorama — an enormous query remained: What would the connection between Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley and Bowden appear to be?
Bowden, whose wage is anticipated to exceed $1 million, accelerated the bonding course of by transferring in with the top coach. The 30-year-old former common supervisor and assistant athletic director at Notre Dame packed his baggage and settled — a minimum of quickly — into Riley’s “casita.”
“I’ve been capable of keep at Coach Riley’s home over the past week and a half,” Bowden stated at his introductory information convention on Wednesday morning. “That’s been a extremely nice expertise. I’ve been capable of have a few of his steaks and balsamic Mickey Mantle’s steaks that he makes.”
“My spouse, you understand, I instructed her that it’s the happiest I’ve been in a really very long time,” he added.
Riley, coming into his fourth season at USC, stated the meat of Bowden’s job will come from managing work on the recruiting path and off-the-field enterprise. He stated Bowden’s tasks will primarily embrace scouting, recruiting and wage cap administration.
At Notre Dame, Bowden assembled three top-15 recruiting courses, in accordance with 247Sports.com, since turning into the combating Irish’s director of recruiting in 2022 earlier than being promoted to common supervisor in March 2024. USC’s 2025 recruiting class — now together with Nationwide Signing Day signees linebacker AJ Tuitele and defensive finish Jadyn Ramos — is ranked No. 17 within the nation by 247Sports, whereas the still-developing 2026 group of gamers sits at fourth total.
“One in every of his, considered one of his greatest targets — our greatest targets — with this was to permit our coaches to teach extra,” Riley stated. “I do know, as loopy as that sounds, lots of our coaches get pulled in so many alternative instructions that you really want to have the ability to inside your group, no matter strengths folks convey to the desk, you wish to intensify these as a lot as you presumably can.”
Coming off back-to-back seasons ending outdoors of the Related Press high 25 ballot, Riley stated he’s needed to change features of this system to push towards loftier outcomes.
“We’re not content material with any a part of this program being common and even being good, that’s not our mentality,” Riley stated. “Any a part of this program we’re evaluating on, ‘Is it at a nationwide championship stage?’ If it’s not, is it trending that approach shortly? If it’s not, we have to repair it.”
Riley credited athletic director Jennifer Cohen, deputy athletic director Jay Hilbrands and former common supervisor Dave Emerick (who’s now the senior affiliate athletic director for soccer administration) for assembling the workers. USC has formally employed two of Bowden’s former Notre Dame colleagues: Dre Brown, the chief director of scouting and personnel, and Zaire Turner, assistant athletic director of recruiting operations.
Whereas Bowden stated he wouldn’t get into specifics concerning how USC will make the most of identify, picture and likeness in recruiting, he laid out the Trojans’ technique going ahead. He famous that a lot of his work shall be seen within the 2026 recruiting class somewhat than heading into the 2025 season.
“We’re going to main in highschool and we’re going to minor within the [transfer] portal,” Bowden stated. “We’re going to be aggressive, and we’re going to assault. Our companies change each single day. One thing will change and we’re going to be on offense each single day. We’re going to assault it. We’re going to assault it via highschool. We’re going to assault it via the state of California.”
Bowden, recognized for his unorthodox recruiting strategies at Notre Dame, joked that Riley might be “leaping out of a helicopter” or newly employed affiliate head coach and linebackers coach Rob Ryan might “hop down in a parachute” to woo recruits.
He stated the relationships — up to now — have been on the identical web page as his workers continues to assemble a sport plan for USC soccer recruiting within the months and years forward.
“Coach Riley, Jen — there’s an alignment, there’s synergy inside how we’re going to method this factor, how we’re going to assault it,” stated Bowden, whose father, Jim, was an MLB common supervisor for the Cincinnati Reds and Washington Nationals. “Any time you’ve balsamic steaks which are phenomenal… you’ve a fairly nice relationship.”
Ryan’s rambuctious introduction
Returning to school soccer for the primary time since 1999, Rob Ryan shared tales, flexed his impression expertise and strut across the podium Wednesday like a WWE wrestler.
The previous NFL coordinator with greater than 35 years of teaching expertise stated Trojans’ defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn is the rationale he’s in College Park — taking a break from a prompted debate over Troy Polomalu’s locks compared to his lengthy, silver hair.
“D’Anton did the identical factor at UCLA,” stated Ryan, who coached with Lynn within the NFL with Buffalo and Baltimore. “Now he got here right here, this system was somewhat bit down, clearly on the upside. Watch the place we end this yr. Watch the place we end this yr. This man is particular. He’s particular.”
Ryan stated throughout the linebackers corps, he’s wanting ahead to teaching freshman Desman Stephens II and senior Eric Gentry. The 62-year-old coach, who most just lately served as a defensive assistant for the Las Vegas Raiders, stated Stephens “performs violently,” whereas Gentry has “vines for arms,” utilizing his size to make performs on the sector.
Up-and-coming coaches
Riley might have seemed old skool by hiring Ryan forward of the 2025 season, however he additionally chosen two youthful coaches to affix the workers.
Thirty-four-year-old Trovon Reed and 30-year-old Chad Savage will function USC’s cornerbacks coach, and tight ends and inside receivers coach, respectively. Savage — from Colorado State — and Reed — from Central Florida — enthusiastically touted their dedication as coaches and recruiters.
“It’s a cliche saying, everybody says it, however double down on relationships,” Savage stated. “Do your due diligence, however you bought to present folks the time of day. As a result of it doesn’t matter if it’s a small inner-city faculty, doesn’t matter if it’s a Trinity [League] Faculty, you bought to present folks the time of day.”
Reed stated participant improvement is considered one of his key teaching traits following a one-year stint at Central Florida.
“I’m gonna break you down,” stated Reed, who performed within the NFL beneath Pete Carroll. “I’m gonna break you down all the way in which. I’m gonna discover the whole lot you’re not good at, and we’re gonna turn out to be good. And the stuff you’re good at, we’re gonna proceed to be nice.”
Savage stated he hopes his power is contagious in follow and it rubs off on his gamers.
“Once they make a play, don’t be shocked if you happen to see a coach on the sector,” Reed stated. I’m gonna speak to teach [Riley]. I’d get a flag or two, it’ll be value it although.”