Clay Helton posted an announcement on social media hours after he was fired by USC, thanking college directors, gamers, followers and others for his or her help throughout his tenure main the Trojans soccer program.

Helton couldn’t overcome an unpleasant loss to Stanford Saturday night time on the Coliseum and years of lackluster outcomes and flagging fan help. Whereas followers celebrated the teaching change they’d lengthy lobbied for, lots of Helton’s gamers thanked him through their social media accounts.

Helton stated he was grateful for the chance to steer the staff.

“On behalf of my household, I need to specific my honest appreciation for the chance of a lifetime to function your Head Soccer Coach at USC,” Helton wrote. “I would like thank the administration, our Trojan college students, alumni, and followers for permitting us to be part of your loved ones.

“To our gamers, each previous and current, I’m eternally indebted to you for what you have got given me. The relationships that now we have constructed and the recollections that now we have made will likely be with us eternally. I’m so appreciative for the entire exhausting work that our present workers and student-athletes have put into getting ready for this season, and whereas it is going to be exhausting to not be within the struggle with you. I’m assured that nice issues lie forward. As you compete for a championship, nobody will likely be cheering louder than The Helton Household.”

USC athletic director Mike Bohn praised Helton within the assertion saying the teaching change, acknowledging he was a terrific function mannequin however the college may not overlook a scarcity of success on the sphere and failure to contend for championships.

“Clay is likely one of the best human beings I’ve met on this business, and he has been an amazing function mannequin and mentor to our younger males,” Bohn stated. “We respect his a few years of service to our college and want him nothing however the easiest. In step with our values as an establishment, he deserves the utmost respect.”

This story initially appeared in Los Angeles Instances.