Less than a month before signing day, USC has lost its recruiting coordinator.
Peter Sirmon is leaving USC to become the defensive coordinator at Mississippi State.
Sirmon served as linebackers coach and recruiting coordinator for the Trojans the last two seasons after he followed Steve Sarkisian from Washington.
The news of Sirmon's departure came one day after head Coach Clay Helton announced he had hired Clancy Pendergast to be the Trojans' defensive coordinator.
Sirmon had been named interim defensive coordinator for the Holiday Bowl after Helton fired Justin Wilcox, and three other assistants, following a loss to Stanford in the Pac-12 Conference championship game.