USC Football Players Mob Clay Helton After Hiring Announcement

USC football players cheered with joy and chanted their new head coach’s name after being informed Monday that Clay Helton was hired on a permanent basis.

Amid the discussions on social media about the wisdom of hiring Clay Helton on as the permanent head coach of USC football, linebacker Su’a Cravens posted his opinions on the matter.

RELATED: Hiring Clay Helton Rights Wrongs From 2013

“Seems like people are forgetting its not what the fans at home want. Its what the team wants and needs and thats a head coach they’ll die 4!” Cravens said. “Most important opinion and thoughts are those from the locker room! Never forget that. ”

The appropriate sights and sounds to accompany those words followed when USC Athletics released a video of athletic director Pat Haden announcing Helton as the permanent head coach of the Trojans.

In the video, Haden introduces Helton as the interim head coach, then tells the players, “This guy is no longer your interim head coach. He’s your head coach.”

In response, the Trojan players jumped out of their seats, mobbed the newly-announced coach and chanted “Helton! Helton! Helton!”

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There was no doubt that the players were absolutely behind the prospect of hiring Helton, with vocal support in interviews and on social media, but that support was certainly display at another level when the announcement was made.

Helton took over for Steve Sarkisian in October and led the Trojans to a 5-2 record. After a loss to Notre Dame, the team went on a four-game winning streak, including a victory over highly-ranked Utah. A loss to Oregon in Eugene put a damper on Helton’s run, but USC rallied to beat UCLA and win the Pac-12 South title.

Now they have to gear up to face Stanford in the Pac-12 Championship Game on Saturday.