Clay Helton’s ability to keep USC on even keel has early beginnings

Kim Helton experienced or saw just about everything during a 40-year coaching career that included a stint as head coach at the University of Houston and three decades as a college and pro assistant.

But he was never an interim head coach.

So when his son, Clay, took on that title at USC, Kim Helton offered no advice other than to be himself.

“The only thing I ever talk to Clay about is offensive line play and pass protections,� Kim Helton said.

His father’s influence — and those of coaches he grew up around, played for and coached with — has helped Clay operate through a state of coaching limbo.

It was evident during his first go-round in the interim role at USC, when he took over in December 2013 and guided the Trojans to a rout of Fresno State in the Las Vegas Bowl.

It was apparent in October, when Athletic Director Pat Haden again turned to Helton, this time less than a week before the Trojans traveled to Notre Dame.

Now, after a 48-28 loss to Oregon that renewed calls for a marquee college or NFL coach to take over next season, Helton is preparing the Trojans for Saturday’s rivalry game against UCLA, which will decide the Pac-12 Conference South division title.

The winner advances to the Pac-12 title game against Stanford on Dec. 5, with the winner of that game playing in the Rose Bowl, a game in which USC has not appeared since the 2008 season.

If the Trojans lose ...

Helton does not pay attention to chatter about a job that has been connected in some media reports to Pete Carroll, John Harbaugh, Chip Kelly, Brian Kelly, Bob Stoops and others.

“Those decisions are not mine,� Helton said this week. “That’s a higher pay grade that makes those decisions.

“I’ll know at the end of it that I walked away taking care of a bunch of kids and giving them the best opportunity to win. And if that’s good enough to have something moving forward so be it.�

Helton is 43 but seems older. Some of it is appearance — he jokes easily about his hairline — but most of it is maturity gained during 21 years of coaching.

Helton has called his father “my hero,� but he also was exposed to coaches his father worked for, including Doug Dickey at Florida, Howard Schnellenberger at Miami and legendary USC coach John McKay with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Helton began his coaching career by working as a graduate assistant under Fred Goldsmith at Duke. He then became an assistant under his father at Houston, Tommy West at Memphis and Lane Kiffin and Steve Sarkisian at USC.

“Of all the guys I ever had, if anybody ever asked who I would pick to be a head coach, it would be him,� Goldsmith told The Times in 2013.

During his five-plus seasons as a USC assistant, Helton never strayed from the company line with reporters. When questioned, he offered straightforward assessments of quarterback play, but dutifully deferred to Kiffin and Sarkisian — and onetime interim coach Ed Orgeron — when asked about something beyond his specific responsibility.

Helton can still default to coachspeak with the best of them, but in the last six weeks his personality has come through more often with players, reporters and fans.

“I’ve always been under the impression that it’s best to brutally honest — I get that from my dad,� he said. “Just tell a man how it is. I think the media appreciates it, I think the kids appreciate it and I think the fans appreciate it.�

Players greeted Helton with an ovation when Haden informed them that he would take over for Sarkisian. Last week, a few started a campaign on social media with the hashtag #Helton2016.

Tailback Justin Davis is among the players who have blossomed on the field in the last six weeks.

“He’s been there for us, he’s got our backs and he’s confident in each and every one of us,� Davis said. “That’s the thing that sets him apart. He has faith and trust in every one of his players no matter what, and that goes a long way. It makes a player want to play even harder.�

Helton also has rallied assistants, who found themselves in limbo after Sarkisian was fired.

“Human nature is tough because everyone’s thinking, ‘Well, what are we going to do?’� said running backs coach Johnny Nansen, one of several assistants who came with Sarkisian from Washington. “Clay has been the key to the whole deal, keeping the coaches believing, ‘Hey, to help these kids, to give them something to remember.’ We don’t know what’s ahead of us, but we have an opportunity to do something special.�

Helton built his coaching resume over the last two months.

He took a team on the verge of chaos to South Bend, Ind., and suffered a 10-point loss against a Notre Dame team that is vying for a spot in the College Football Playoff.

He guided the Trojans to victory over then-unbeaten Utah, reestablished a tough running game against California and calmly led the Trojans to comeback victories over Arizona and Colorado.

Oregon exposed a defense that was without two experienced linebackers. The Trojans also committed costly penalties and turnovers.

“It was not a good day,� Helton said after the game. “I told the kids that that is my responsibility as their head coach and any failures that they had are mine, not theirs.�

Now USC faces UCLA, which has outmuscled the Trojans three years in a row.

But if USC wins, and then wins again in the conference title game …

Win or lose, Kim Helton said his son already has proven this: “There’s no question he’s a head coach.�

If not at USC, then perhaps elsewhere.

“I hope I’ve shown in the last couple months that this is who I am, this is how I coach, this is how I handle a team, this is how I handle certain situations.

“And then I’ll let the guys who speculate, speculate. I’ve got to do my job. … You just handle the things that you can control. And I can control watching after this team and helping them win.

“That’s all I can do.�

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Twitter: @latimesklein