Christmas came a day later for one of USC’s top assistant coaches as the university’s board of trustees announced a promotion for Torrian Gray on Friday afternoon. Carolina’s current defensive backs coach and passing game coordinator is adding co-defensive coordinator to his title.
In addition to his raise and promotion, Gray’s contract was amended to include an inflated buyout clause that covers the short term: if he leaves USC between now and June 30, 2026, he would owe the school $2 million—or about four times the dollar amount of the comparable time frame from his previous contract amendment. Gray’s buyout drops to $500,000 if he leaves after July 1; and it drops again, to $300,000, if he leaves on or after Jan. 1, 2027.
The Lakeland, Florida, native, who was named USC’s defensive backs coach in January of 2021, will enter his sixth season with the Gamecocks in 2026. He was given the additional duty of Defensive Passing Game Coordinator in January 2025 before his latest promotion. Gray has coached the secondary for 26 years, including 22 at the collegiate level and four in the NFL, according to his South Carolina bio.
South Carolina’s board on Friday also approved a two-year contract for new defensive ends/outside linebackers coach Deion Barnes. USC previously announced the hire, but Friday’s meeting formalized the deal. Barnes will receive $675,000 in the first year and $775,000 in the second year of the contract.
Barnes has spent the past three seasons as the defensive line coach on James Franklin’s staff at Penn State after working with the Nittany Lions for three years as a graduate assistant tutoring the defensive line.
During his six seasons working with the PSU defensive line, Barnes has mentored 21 All-Big Ten selections, including five first-team picks, along with a first-team, a second-team, and a third-team All-American.