USC names Clay Helton permanent head coach, so no Chip Kelly

USC announced on Monday that Clay Helton has shed the interim label and been named the school’s permanent head football coach.

In a press release, USC athletic director Pat Haden said the Trojans had spent “weeks” interviewing candidates and speaking with NFL executives.

“After weeks of searching the collegiate and pro ranks, interviewing candidates and speaking with head coaches, athletic directors, NFL executives and very knowledgeable football people, and after observing Clay in action the past seven weeks, it became abundantly clear that what we were searching for in a coach was right here in front of us,” Haden said.

As Ian Rapoport of NFL Network notes, one of the NFL people USC checked in with was Philadelphia Eagles coach Chip Kelly.

#USC announces they're hiring former interim Clay Helton as their full-time coach. They had touched base with Chip Kelly, then made the move

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 30, 2015

Haden stressed that Helton was named permanent head coach because of the support he has received from current and former members of the program — not because of the Trojans’ big win over USC on Saturday. We’re sure it didn’t hurt, however.

For a while, the belief was that USC would be targeting a big name such as one of these two NFL head coaches. There’s no telling whether Kelly was Haden’s first choice, but this puts an end to what had become rampant speculation.

Photo: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports