New AD Lynn Swann introduced to Trojan Family

Newly hired athletic director Lynn Swann was formally introduced during a press conference at the McKay Center Thursday morning.

Swann, who spoke after brief remarks from President C. L. Max Nikias, admitted this was not an opportunity he expected to undertake.

“It’s a privilege for me to be here,” Swann said. “It’s an honor certainly to be back at my alma mater as the incoming athletic director. There are a lot of things in my life that I think I planned for — this was not necessarily one of them. But it’s one of those great unexpected outcomes I think that I’m looking forward to, and I think I’ve been building for a long period of time.”

Swann is well known in the USC community, starring in the football program in the 1970s en route to a Hall-of-Fame NFL career. After retiring from the game, Swann spent time in broadcasting, business and politics.

The 64-year-old, who has a degree in public relations from USC, noted one of his objectives was to help student-athletes pursue successful careers after their playing days are done, citing his own experience.

“If they’re fortunate enough to be able to play at a professional level, that’s great,” Swann said. “But you know the odds of that are very small. To get that education and find the other avenues they can move into, and have the tools and skills to move on is what we’re trying to accomplish here.”

The mindset was apparent in the three goals he laid out for the athletics program: to graduate, win and experience. Swann praised Pat Haden, whom he will replace in July, for increasing student-athlete graduation rates during his tenure.

Regarding athletics, Swann spoke to the need to compete at a national level.

“You practice, you play, you work to be No. 1, not to be No. 2 or 3,” Swann said. “If you’re working to be No. 1, you’re going to get the most out of yourself and the most out of your program. Anybody who’s working to be less than No. 1 is going to get less than what they’re capable of, so we will push these teams to be national champions and to be the best that they can be.”

Finally, Swann noted the importance of education beyond the classroom and the large international presence at USC as a tool to gain experiences.

“The ultimate goal is to make sure we take care of the kids, to give them an environment that nurtures them, protects them and gives them an opportunity to be open and free, to discuss ideas and to grow,” Swann said.

Swann said he did not explicitly seek the position, but received encouragements from friends and on Twitter. When Nikias approached him, he thought it through and decided to pursue it.

“I’m not coming into this job thinking I have all the answers,” Swann said. “I’m coming here to work with an established team that has done a great job. I will learn from them. I will find out how we can do things better as we move forward. I will take suggestions on how to do it. I will be very inclusive as we move forward.”

Swann, who was named to the position on Wednesday, beat out more than 200 candidates in a search that Nikias called “exhaustive.”

“Going through this process, I knew this would be one of the biggest decisions that I would make as president,” Nikias said. “From the beginning when we announced the search, I have constantly been restless. Once I made the decision, I’ve been at peace with myself.”

Nikias revealed there were seven “serious” finalists for the position, which included sitting athletic directors from other programs and NFL executives. Nikias made the decision with consultation from a search firm, but without help from Haden and the Board of Trustees. Haden, who will step down in June, was noticeably absent during the press conference.

Though Swann has no prior experience in athletic administration, Nikias was not concerned.

“When I look at leadership positions … I am looking for the person that has leadership qualities,” Nikias said. “I’m a very strong believer that the best training for leadership is leadership itself.”

Swann is also the third consecutive former football player to be named to the post and his connections to USC were of note to Nikias.

“I wanted to find the person with the right leadership qualities and general knowledge of intercollegiate athletics or athletics in general — which he does,” Nikias said. “But the fact then that he’s a Trojan legend, my god, that’s a big value added.

Swann will look to continue to stabilize the athletics program and continue its legacy.

“USC’s standard is to win national championships,” Swann said. “That’s exactly what we’re going to do: Win national championships.”

Darian Nourian contributed to this report.