To Chad Bowden, no element is simply too small.
USC soccer’s new basic supervisor has seen sufficient throughout his fast rise by the personnel ranks to know little issues could make a significant influence on a program. So when he first took the reins of USC’s entrance workplace in late January, Bowden set out on the lookout for one thing small to enhance immediately, to get the ball rolling and set a tone within the constructing.
He began with the bathroom paper.
“Charmin Ultra Soft,” Bowden mentioned, with a smile. “I got it in every bathroom now for our players.”
His tireless efforts since then to revamp the entrance workplace have energized the whole program this spring, sparking a surprising run on the recruiting path that has USC — and its 22 commitments, eight greater than some other faculty — atop each potential rating for the category of 2026.
The vibes round USC have been particularly good since Bowden’s arrival. And in the event you ask him, the extra-soft bathroom paper — or, no less than, the thought behind it — is a part of that cause.
Just lately, one USC coach joked that it was one of the best change he’d made in two months on the job.
“It might not matter to some people,” Bowden mentioned. “But everything matters in what you’re doing in a program. If you focus on that, there is a belief that starts to bleed out into the program of like, ‘Oh, we’re going to be on point in everything we do. Because that’s who we are now.’”
His first two months have been targeted, largely, on making that time — that each element issues.
Bowden sat down with The Occasions on Thursday to debate the little issues that matter, his first two months on the job and his ideas on the long run. The next dialog has been edited for size and readability.
How do you establish the little issues inside this program that you simply zeroed in on?
Every thing issues. The quantity of sleep our gamers are getting, the quantity of sleep our coaches are getting, the kind of life we’re all dwelling. I take into consideration how every thing our gamers are doing, each single hour of each single day, issues. Every thing issues. We simply received out of a participant success assembly, going over each single participant, whether or not it has to do with lecturers, whether or not they’re sleeping proper, what they’re consuming from a diet standpoint, how they’re doing within the weight room. This entire factor isn’t just about soccer. It’s about growing younger individuals. That goes with doing the little issues. Accountability and self-discipline, we’re seeking to instill self-discipline on this soccer program and care for the little issues to one of the best of our capability, to assist them develop as males.
When did it develop into clear to you that the small particulars matter that a lot?
It’s at all times mattered to me on this occupation. I didn’t actually perceive it. I feel at my earlier cease, I discovered so much about each avenue and the way it all works collectively and the way each element of their day and each element of this soccer program issues. As a result of if every thing is aligning, from our bathroom paper to them being within the B Hole, or them ensuring once they’re coming again on a cease route that it’s on the yard marker you’re asking them. Each single element issues. And in the event you deal with it that manner, you’re going to get the kind of outcomes that result in actually profitable issues.
Did you sense that you simply have been bringing a brand new stage of give attention to these extra minor aspects of this system?
USC basic supervisor Chad Bowden, heart, listens throughout a workforce apply.
(USC Athletics)
It was already right here. I simply assume it’s a unique manner. Look, discovering your higher manner now could be endlessly evolving. I’ve to evolve each single day, each single 12 months. You must improve every thing you do, in any other case this sport will cross you by. That’s simply my mindset with every thing. That at any given second — I do know this chance might be taken away from me at any second. And I don’t need it to be taken away from me. I’ve that mindset that persons are gonna come for you. And I need to make sure that once they do, that I’m higher each single time.
How do you establish the type of division you need to construct? Is that this a Pete Carroll scenario the place you’ve spent all this time writing out your rules and envisioning your excellent entrance workplace? Or did you convey one thing much like what you had at Notre Dame?
Each place is totally different, and I pay respect to what has been completed earlier than me, and I’ve nothing however respect for what’s been completed during the last three years with the recruiting and personnel division. Now it’s all below one. After I got here in, I wished to see what that was and what had been happening, and you already know, it’s not like I made any huge changes. The one factor that basically we did is we introduced — recruiting was down there (factors a technique), recruiting was down there (factors the opposite manner). If anyone is aware of me, I don’t like working in my very own workplace. I like working with individuals as a result of I would like them to see me work. As a result of once they see me work, they’re gonna go, ‘Oh my God. I get this whole thing. I get why I have respect for him. I understand how much he works. I understand what he’s doing.’ I would like them to listen to my calls. I would like them to listen to what’s happening each single day, and I need to hear what they’re doing. I wanna be sure that we’re all working and aligned collectively, and there’s no person slipping up as a result of we’re all on this path collectively. We’re all on the identical ship collectively, and we’re all shifting ahead.
I don’t need anybody to enterprise off. We’re all on this factor collectively. So that you come to a spot like this the place there’s been numerous success. We’ve got nice gamers, you already know, there’s been some actually big-time recruiting wins. There’s been numerous good issues which have already been happening on this program. It’s simply bringing everyone collectively to be on the identical ship to freaking roll down, to roll within the Pacific Ocean towards anyone, anytime, anyplace, anywhere, 53⅓ by 120, we’re coming for you. As a result of we’re all on this collectively.
So do you’re employed out of a shared house?
I don’t have my very own workplace. I didn’t need one. They requested me and so they have been dumbfounded, which was hilarious to me. However anybody that is aware of me is aware of I’m working with everybody. So recruiting and personnel, we’re all in the identical space, the entrance workplace.
I learn just lately that among the new entrance workplace members have been dwelling with you?
Dre [Brown] and Zaire [Turner] nonetheless reside with me at present. Max [Stienecker] was dwelling with me at one time, too. Sadly. He misses me already. However yeah, they’re dwelling with me and my spouse Ava in Palos Verdes.
Guess it helps to get issues off the bottom with a brand new operation once you’re below the identical roof?
They know that they’ll stick with me every time. They know that. Similar to anyone on this workers might.
You talked about early wins on the recruiting path. You’ve the No. 1 class in 2026. Whenever you have a look at how nicely you guys are doing in recruiting, what would you say has been the catalyst to constructing that momentum?
USC soccer basic supervisor Chad Bowden attends a current workforce apply.
(USC Athletics)
There’s numerous momentum that comes from having everybody working collectively. All of us got here up with this plan collectively. It’s not only one individual. It’s everyone working collectively as one. And that’s not simply, you already know, the coaches, no matter, our administration, our assist workers. All people has helped this momentum and everyone at USC helps with the imaginative and prescient of what this soccer program goes to be.
So it’s not only one individual. I feel there’s simply an unimaginable quantity of alignment and togetherness as I reference the ship, there’s simply everyone on the identical web page with what that is gonna be. I feel that’s why there’s been numerous success. Now I do know everyone seems to be this momentum. I’ve completed this all over the place I’ve gone. All people is driving the highs proper now, and simply perceive that with actually nice highs come some lows, proper? And we’re gonna undergo some by this class. However the highs are going to be manner greater than the lows. And what we’re ultimately going to construct, I don’t care if we end with the No. 1 recruiting class within the rankings and workers, I care about us getting the suitable ones that worth USC, that worth this diploma, worth the connections and the community, and the truth that this place can set you up for the remainder of your life on high of that. You’ve your dream and targets in thoughts of taking part in within the NFL, you’ve one of the best coaches in the whole nation, one of the best coaches on this planet so that you can attain your full potential as a soccer participant, and on high of that, there’s not one factor we don’t have and we reside within the biggest metropolis in America in Los Angeles.
You mission numerous confidence. How a lot do you’re feeling like that has helped propel you in your profession?
It’s extra about how a lot I’ve misplaced. I’ve by no means received a nationwide championship. So I don’t know what that appears like. Clearly I’ve been in that second, however we misplaced the second. It’s not like I’m the one on the sphere scoring the landing. You’re a part of a program, proper? That’s what you do. It’s not confidence. It’s a willingness to at all times attempt to improve a soccer program to no matter it takes to get to the highest of that second, successful that second. That’s actually all it’s. It’s understanding that I don’t have all of the solutions. However I need to win, and we need to win at USC. That’s what USC is all about. We’re the most popular ticket on the town within the metropolis of Los Angeles after we’re successful. We’re going to get there. It may not be at this time, however I can promise you, at this time, proper now, April 10, 2025, we’re going to function at this time like we’re a nationwide championship program. And it’s going to be that manner each single day that I’m right here, each single minute, each hour, that’s what we’re going to be. The outcomes may not be what individuals need, however stick with us, as a result of the long run is extremely brilliant. And it’s the brightest that it ever has been in a really very long time.
When it comes to the long run, the school soccer panorama is ready to vary considerably quickly with the Home settlement. I’m curious what your greatest issues or questions are concerning the new period we’re coming into.
I’ve no issues with the present panorama. No matter tips or no matter guidelines are going to be in place, I stay up for maximizing no matter these are. So it doesn’t matter to me what’s positioned in entrance of us. We’re going to go for all of it. And we’ll have numerous totally different plans to be sure that we’re going to be on the high when it’s all mentioned and completed. The brand new panorama to me, persons are anxious. I’ve seen interviews and other people speaking about this new panorama, however I’m excited. I’m excited for no matter it’s going to be. We’re going to do issues the suitable manner. However we’re additionally going to maximise it.
Proper now every thing is out within the open. There’s no cap on what gamers might be paid. I do know these people who find themselves anxious recommend that when issues change and NIL offers should be authorized by a clearinghouse, we’re simply going to see a lot of these offers go below the desk. Do you assume it’s inevitable with these guidelines that we’ll see faculties making an attempt to avoid the cap?
I do know that we’re going to recruit the suitable children. And I do know that even when one thing like that have been to happen, we’re going to do every thing by the e book, and we’re going to maximise that to one of the best of our capability. It received’t matter as a result of we’re going to decide on children who select USC for the suitable causes. If that’s how different applications need to conduct themselves, they’ll. It received’t matter. It received’t matter in the long run.
No matter finally ends up taking place with school athletics and school soccer, no matter kind of enforcement, no matter it seems like, I simply know we’re going to be ready for it. We’re going to do every thing the suitable manner.
