USC fired football Defensive Coordinator Alex Grinch Sunday afternoon, Head Coach Lincoln Riley announced. Grinch’s departure came less than 24 hours after his defense allowed 52 points and 572 total yards to No. 5 Washington. The Huskies’ 117th-ranked rush attack posted 316 yards and 5 touchdowns.

Defensive Line Coach Shaun Nua and Inside Linebackers Coach and Associate Head Coach for Defense Brian Odom will serve as interim co-defensive coordinators for the remainder of the season.

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The coaching relationship between Riley and Grinch began in 2019 when Grinch assumed the defensive coordinator role at Oklahoma. Despite coaching a streaky Sooners defense, Grinch was able to maintain his position on Riley’s coaching staff when Riley assumed the USC head coaching role in 2022. 

Fans first called for the termination of Grinch’s career with the Trojans after the team’s season-ending defensive collapse in 2022. They allowed 93 total points and 1,072 total yards in losses at the Pac-12 Championship and Cotton Bowl.

Grinch has been in the hot seat throughout the 2023 season. In the Trojans’ last six games, Grinch’s defense has allowed 52, 49, 34, 48, 41 and 41 points. Following Saturday’s loss, the defense is ranked 119th in total defense (436 yards per game) and 121st in scoring defense (34.5 points per game) out of 130 FBS teams.

“They put ‘coordinator’ next to your name, you’re supposed to coordinate it right,” Grinch said in a press conference before USC took on UC Berkeley two weeks ago. “There’s an accountability piece, so that’s your job.”

Firing Grinch is a long overdue gift to the Trojan fanbase, and it may have been too late. Riley and USC Athletics’ hesitation to let go of Grinch has USC ranked outside of the Associated Press Top 25 for the first time in Riley’s tenure.