Former Ron Zook Assistant Pops Up On USC Radar

Per Phil Kornblut of the South Carolina Radio News Network, Illinois running backs coach DeAndre Smith has expressed interest in the running backs coach job at USC. Smith confirmed his interest in the position Thursday and hopes to talk with Steve Spurrier in the near future. Through his former head coach, Ron Zook, at Illinois and ex-Gators assistant coach under Spurrier, Zook spoke on behalf of Smith to Spurrier last week regarding the vacant South Carolina RB Coach position.

Smith is on the market with the change in head coaches at Illinois. This is his second season with the Fighting Illini and his 13th in college coaching. He has produced eight 1,000-yard rushers in eleven seasons, including Mikel Leshoure, who last season set an Illinois record with 1,697 yards, leading the Big Ten’s second best rushing attack in league history at more than 256 yards rushing per game.

When Smith was RB Coach at Northern Illinois University last decade, he produced two current NFL running backs: Atlanta’s Michael Turner & Chicago’s Garrett Wolfe.

Smith joins a lengthy list (Texas A&M’s Randy Jordan, Air Force’s Des Kitchings, Wisconsin’s Thomas Hammock and Oregon State’s Chris Brasfield) of potential candidates for Graham’s old position. Graham resigned to become running backs coach at Tennessee.