Mar 22, 2012; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Southern California Trojans defensive line coach Ed Orgeron at spring practice at Howard Jones Field. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-USA TODAY Sports

USC announced Tuesday that defensive line coach Ed Orgeron would not replace Monte Kiffin as the defensive coordinator, but would instead assume the role as assistant head coach.

To the LATimes, Orgeron said he is “very comfortable with my spot as assistant head coach.”

He also noted that he and Kiffin are on the same page with this decision, and they believe USC needs to look outside the program to find a hire that can remold the Trojans to be successful against an increasingly popular offensive scheme in the Pac-12.

“We both agreed that we need to research and develop the best defensive coordinator in the country to come in and help the Trojans,” Orgeron continued to the Times. “We realize there are some things we need to get better at with the scheme, especially against the spread offense.”

As the assistant head coach, he will continue his roles as the D-line coach and a recruiting coordinator. This is monumental for the Trojans, as a few key defensive recruits have noted that Orgeron’s presence with the team has kept their commitments solid thus far.

There is currently no timetable on when USC will hire a new defensive coordinator, with Monte Kiffin resigning from the position last week. A new hire would likely be brought in after the Trojans’ appearance in the Sun Bowl, as they are currently at the NCAA limit of nine full-time assistant coaches and could not add another until then.

If the Trojans have a frontrunner for the position, both Orgeron and head coach Lane Kiffin remain mum on the matter. Kiffin also did not offer up anything on whether USC will look to hire an offensive coordinator as well.

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-US PRESSWIRE

When the word came out on Thursday night that assistant head coach Monte Kiffin was resigning after the looming bowl game, the reality set in that the Trojans would have to find a new acting defensive coordinator for the 2013 season. Add in the fact that Signing Day is just 69 days away, and the decision is heightened and will need to be a focused, succinct process, with two main objectives hand: keeping Ed Orgeron on staff and maintaining a 4-3 defensive scheme.

Once Kiffin’s resignation hit Twitter, the buzz quickly turned to the reaction of USC’s No. 1 recruiting class. Key defensive commits Eddie Vanderdoes and Michael Hutchings were both clear that the loss of Monte Kiffin won’t play a factor in their recruitment, as long the Trojans keep Coach O and the 4-3.

Vanderdoes has made it clear throughout his recruitment that Orgeron’s status is the most important factor for the Trojans, and the calmness with Monte’s departure goes to show that.

Orgeron, who visited commits Kenny Bigelow and Khaliel Rodgers on Thursday, is the heart of the Trojans’ locker room. He’s the guy the recruits adore and the coach that players get fired up to play for, even more so than head coach Lane Kiffin, given their differences in attitude and tenacity.

Going into 2012, the Trojans’ defensive line appeared to be the unit with the most question marks, especially when Devon Kennard went down with a season-ending torn pectoral injury at the end of July. With Orgeron leading the way however, the Trojans’ front four has been the strongest unit on either side of the ball, far surpassing expectations.

USC is third nationally in sacks, led by Morgan Breslin’s Pac-12 high of 12. The biggest stat however, is that 36 of USC’s 43 sacks have come from linemen, a number that leads the nation.

The line’s ability to get a sustained pass rush has allowed the linebackers to drop back into Monte Kiffin’s cover-2 instead of blitz, and the pressure this season has been similar to great defensive lines of the past, such as Wild Bunch II in 2003, which had 38.5 sacks. Without question, the stellar play of the Trojans’ defensive line is a feather in Orgeron’s cap.

And it doesn’t stop there with Orgeron, as his stature as USC’s defensive line coach is pivotal as a recruiter, evident with his recruitment of tackles Vanderdoes and Kenny Bigelow, in addition to defensive ends Torrodney Prevot and Kylie Fitts. Without Orgeron, the vaunted class could implode much like Cal’s 2012 class did when Tosh Lupoi departed for Washinton last January, a situation the Trojans surely would like to avoid.

While it’s unclear as to whether Orgeron will be a serious candidate for the defensive coordinator job, a gig he technically already posses the financial title of, according to Scott Wolf, he’ll stay if he’s not promoted. It’s critical for the state of USC’s recruiting that that is a reality and not just hearsay.

In addition to Orgeron’s status at USC, playing a 4-3 scheme is key for the next defensive coordinator, and given both current personnel and the talent of the incoming Class of 2013, it would make little sense for the Trojans to abandon their traditional 4-3 in favor of a hybrid 3-4 scheme.

USC is stacked with a slew of young 1-gap defensive tackles, such as sophomore George Uko and true freshman Leonard Williams. Add in Vanderdoes and Bigelow, and unless the Trojans converted one or more of those to a 3-4 defensive end, it would be quite the crowd at nose tackle with Antwaun Woods if USC opted for a 3-4.

At linebacker, the Trojans just don’t have the depth to run a 3-4. Throughout the year, the main issue with the linebackers was the lack of depth in the middle, which kept a struggling Lamar Dawson in the lineup throughout the season. Michael Hutchings, Jabari Ruffin and Scott Starr will all be freshmen in 2013, but with Dion Bailey hoping for a move to safety, there would be a lack of depth, enhanced by the graduation of Tony Burnett.

An option would be to turn an end or two, such as Devon Kennard or Morgan Breslin, into a hybrid end/outside backer, but that could ultimately jeopardize their return for their senior seasons, with their NFL draft stock predicated on being an end.

The bottomline is that both the current and future Trojans adore Orgeron and the 4-3 scheme that he thrives in. Should a new coordinator install a new system and Orgeron find a greener pasture, there would be plenty of sky falling on the recruiting front, which likely keeps Lane Kiffin and Pat Haden’s hands tied to a 4-3 defensive coordinator who embraces Orgeron.

Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-US PRESSWIRE

After a season in which the USC defense finished 63rd in the nation in total defense and gave up the second most points per game in school history, in addition to giving up 730 total yards to the No. 2 Oregon Ducks, assistant head coach Monte Kiffin has resigned effective after the impending bowl game to pursue the NFL.

News of the resignation was released on the Trojans’ website, where Kiffin offered his take on the move.

I wanted to make this announcement now so that our players who are preparing for the bowl game and our recruits who will be visiting campus are aware. I really enjoyed my time at USC and the opportunity I had to work with our players and coaches. The chance to work for my son, Lane, was unique and memorable, but we always treated each other professionally on a coach-to-coach basis.

Kiffin, the grandfather of the Tampa-2 defensive scheme, had remarkable NFL success in his long stint in the professional ranks, highlighted by winning Super Bowl XXXVII with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Following his run in the NFL, Kiffin joined his son Lane in the SEC with Tennessee Volunteers for the 2009 season and came to USC in 2010 as a tandem to replace Pete Carroll, along with Ed Orgeron.

Since USC’s defense under Carroll and Nick Holt gave up just 221 yards per game in 2008, the Trojans have lost significant footing on defense, giving up a school record 400 yards per game in 2010, a feat that could be surpassed if the Trojans give up 448 yards in the bowl game.

Despite his system being originally geared at stopping the spread offense due to undersized playmakers at linebacker, this season, the Tampa-2 has been shown to backfire, as evident with the aforementioned Oregon game, in which USC gave up the most points in school history: 62.