Just two days after Signing Day, USC football’s coaching staff has lost one of its key members, as linebackers coach Joe Barry has moved on to the NFL to take the same position with the San Diego Chargers. Word of the signing was initally reported by CBS Sports reporter Bryan Fischer.
Kelvin Kuo-US PRESSWIRE
Joe Barry was with USC for just over two years, joining the Trojans along with Lane Kiffin, Monte Kiffin and Ed Orgeron back in January of 2010. Barry had tough shoes to fill, replacing arguably the greatest linebackers coach in USC history, Ken Norton, Jr. In 2010, USC’s linebacker corps struggled, anchored by Michael Morgan along with sophomore Devon Kennard, as the defense as a whole set school records for most yards and points allowed. Last season however, Barry showed his influence, turning the USC linebacker corps into one of the best in the conference, while starting a bevy of freshman. Dion Bailey and Hayes Pullard flourished in their first seasons, and much of that can be credited to Barry.
Because of the recent uptick in performance of the SC defense, along with the solid character players at linebacker, the Trojans took the news of Barry pretty rough. Dion Bailey tweeted that he felt like crying, while Scott Starr and Hayes Pullard were bit more optimistic. Here’s how they tweeted:
Do what’s best for your family and a man can’t criticize another man in doing so. Hopefully I’ll see you in the NFL soon. Trojan for life.
— Scott Starr (@EvilScottStarr3) February 3, 2012
Congrats on your Decision. Love having you Teach me all the Ropes. Turn it up there in the NFL. See You Later….
— Red Nose Pullard(@FightOn10) February 3, 2012
Barry’s vacancy now means that Kiffin will have to act quickly to replace Barry, as the Trojans were already shorthanded, given the sudden resigning of secondary coach Willie Mack Garza last August. Sammy Knight did a solid job with the Trojans filling the void of Garza, as the play of Jawanza Starling in particiular was accelarted during the second half of the season.
Michael Castillo is an aspiring writer and artist from Los Angeles. He's currently studying at the University of Southern California, majoring in Fine Arts with an emphasis on digital media. Castillo's writing has been featured on Yahoo! Sports and SB Nation, and he's the Editorial Director for FanSided's College Network. Follow his personal Twitter @CarlosListon, and be sure to check out his portfolio at www.michaelcastillo.net.
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