USC Football 2016 Preview: Breaking Down the Coaches

USC head coach Clay Helton during practice at Howard Jones Field. (Alicia de Artola/Reign of Troy)
USC head coach Clay Helton during practice at Howard Jones Field. (Alicia de Artola/Reign of Troy) /
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USC offensive coordinator Tee Martin during practice at the LA Coliseum. (Alicia de Artola/Reign of Troy)
USC offensive coordinator Tee Martin during practice at the LA Coliseum. (Alicia de Artola/Reign of Troy) /

Tee Martin | Offensive Coordinator

Martin is no new face to the USC football program, as he is entering his fifth year with the coaching staff.

Prior to being named the offensive coordinator at the conclusion of the 2015 season, Martin worked strictly with the wide receivers unit his first four seasons at USC.

A former national championship winning quarterback at Tennessee in his own right, Martin will be delivered the duty of maximizing this USC offense to its full potential.

While depth looks to be prevalent at nearly every position offensively, there is a new quarterback under center for USC, which always adds another element to the way in which a team operates.

Add in the fact that USC faces some of the top defenses this season in their gauntlet of a schedule, it will be crucial as to how Martin manages the offensive personnel he has to work with.

Notably, this will also be his first time calling plays.

Offensive Position Coaches:

Tyson Helton | Quarterbacks

Clay’s brother, Tyson Helton, like so many others, is entering his first-year at USC this fall.

Working with newly named starting quarterback, Max Browne, Helton will be the lead coordinator behind USC’s passing attack this season.

His experience helping Western Kentucky’s high-flying spread offense could give the Trojans fresh ideas on offense.

Tommie Robinson | Running Backs

Robinson is the man who has standout backs like Ronald Jones and Justin Davis at his disposal.

After coaching running backs and coordinating the pass game for USC back in 2013, getting the most out of Tre Madden, Justin Davis and eventually Buck Allen, Robinson has returned to the land of Troy for the 2016 season. He had been at Texas.

Tee Martin | Wide Receivers

In addition to handling offensive coordinator duties, Martin is also working with a USC wide receiver corps that ranks amongst the top in the nation. This will be Martin’s fifth year working with the wideouts.

While Juju Smith-Schister is a sure lock to be one of the Trojans’ most targetable receivers, it will be interesting to see how Martin utilizes the rest of the talent they have on the out wide. As a receivers coach, Martin has worked with some of USC’s finest in recent memory: Marqise Lee, Nelson Agholor, and now Smith-Schuster.

Neil Callaway | Offensive Line

Callaway leads an offensive line which, entering the offseason, was projected to be one of the greatest strengths for the Trojans this upcoming season.

Over the summer, several position battles and injuries may have altered the way the offensive line will look come Week 1 against Alabama.

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Callaway will have the duty of arranging USC’s current pieces on the O-line to ensure it performs at the elite level it is capable of.

John Baxter | Tight Ends and Special Teams

Lots of talk has risen this summer regarding the expected usage of tight ends in USC’s offensive scheme this upcoming season. Baxter may very well have a large hand in determining what the role of the tight ends will be offensively this fall.

Baxter previously served as an associate coach and special teams coordinator for USC.

In addition to working with tight ends, Baxter will also pick up duties as a special teams coordinator.