Clay Helton seems to be right man to lead USC

There wasn’t much time to celebrate for Clay Helton when USC’s interim head coach was named the head coach — no interim attached — Monday.

[...] he had to resume preparing the No. 24 Trojans (8-4, 6-3 Pac-12) to play No. 7 Stanford (10-2, 8-1) for the Pac-12 title game Saturday at Levi’s Stadium.

The Trojans lost to Stanford and Washington before the decision was made to dump Sarkisian and put Helton temporarily in charge.

[...] some big names were floated for the job; USC reportedly interviewed former Colts offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton (a former Stanford assistant) and former Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Greg Schiano.

[...] athletic director Pat Haden decided the right man was already on board and gave him a five-year guaranteed contract.

“He’s a players’ coach, and he’s done an amazing job,” junior linebacker Scott Felix told The Chronicle.

During the teleconference, Helton said his previous experience as an interim USC head coach was beneficial.

Helton, whose father, Kim, was a Raiders assistant before becoming head coach at the University of Houston, knew he had to restore an emphasis on hard-nosed football.

Los Angeles Times columnist Bill Plaschke wrote Helton “does not possess one ounce of Showtime, but he is pure Fight On, and in hiring him, the Trojans smartly recommitted themselves to the motto’s essence.”

Orange County Register columnist Jeff Miller wrote, “After Sarkisian and, before that to a lesser extent, Lane Kiffin, it’s refreshing that the Trojans now are being led by an actual adult.”

Stanford running back Christian McCaffrey, Alabama running back Derrick Henry, Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson, Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield, and Iowa cornerback Desmond King are the five finalists for the Walter Camp Player of the Year award.