You don’t usually see a change at the top after a 2-0 start, but USC has always been a program that does things its own way. That was seen on Monday afternoon when Athletic Director Lynn Swann announced that he was resigning, effective immediately. Swann’s resignation comes just two days after a thrilling 45-20 win for the Trojans that saw freshman quarterback Kedon Slovis set multiple program records.
BREAKNG: USC athletic director Lynn Swann has officially resigned.
— Ryan Kartje (@Ryan_Kartje) September 9, 2019
USC President Carol Folt sent out an e-mail on Monday afternoon informing the public that Swann had made the decision to resign. She praised Swann for his achievements during his time in charge of the athletic department, and Folt stated that Dave Roberts would serve as USC’s Interim AD until a replacement had been found. Folt declared that the university planned to conduct a nationwide search to find Swann’s successor.
#BREAKING USC Trojans AD Lynn Swann resigns, according to letter sent out by USC president Carol Folt https://t.co/0Rr3r9Egzk pic.twitter.com/JBp7HNAgVE
— KCAL News (@kcalnews) September 9, 2019
Swann was named USC’s AD on April 13, 2016, and he has held the position since July of that year. During his time in charge of the Trojans, Swann supported current head coach Clay Helton despite growing calls for Helton to be fired. Those calls reached a peak at the end of the 2018 season when USC went 5-7 and missed out on a bowl, but Swann held firm with Helton.
#USC brass had already been reaching out to prospective AD candidates to gauge interest in recent weeks about replacing Lynn Swann, a source tells me. https://t.co/1Z7yBTQE9f
— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) September 9, 2019
The odd timing of the resignation might have something to do with this tidbit from Bruce Feldman. Swann was always seen as a bit of an odd choice to be an AD considering he had no prior history in college administration, and it appears that USC was ready to move on.
That puts the pressure back on Helton now that his biggest champion is no longer in charge. New ADs almost always want to bring in their own coach, so Helton’s hot seat has been ratcheted up once more with the news.
H/T LA Times and ESPN
