USC Hires Notre Dame’s Chad Bowden as New Football General Manager

LOS ANGELES, Calif. — The University of Southern California (USC) has hired Chad Bowden, former Notre Dame general manager, to lead its football program in the same role, multiple sources confirmed Friday. Bowden, 30, joins the Trojans after a successful tenure with the Fighting Irish, where he played a pivotal role in recruiting and roster management.

Bowden’s move to USC comes after a standout season at Notre Dame, where the team went 14-2 and reached the national championship game, ultimately falling to Ohio State 34-23. He was named the 2024 Football Scoop General Manager of the Year by his peers earlier this month, cementing his reputation as one of college football’s top personnel executives.

At USC, Bowden is expected to earn approximately $1 million annually, a significant increase from his previous salary of $275,000-$300,000 at Notre Dame. His hiring marks a strategic move by USC to strengthen its roster-building operations, which have faced challenges in recent years, including high-profile recruiting misses in both the high school ranks and the transfer portal.

“I think for me, it’s the reason I am who I am today,” Bowden told Irish Sports Daily in 2022, reflecting on his father Jim Bowden‘s influence. “My dad was brash, cocky, arrogant, but was also really hard-working and understood talent, understood player personnel, understood people.” Jim Bowden, a former Major League Baseball general manager for the Cincinnati Reds, Montreal Expos, and Washington Nationals, has been a significant figure in Chad’s career development.

Bowden’s departure leaves a void at Notre Dame, where he was instrumental in assembling top-tier recruiting classes since 2023. His ability to identify and secure talent helped the Fighting Irish overcome roster challenges, including a depleted lineup during their College Football Playoff run this season.

USC athletic director Jen Cohen had previously pursued Alabama general manager Courtney Morgan for the role, but he chose to remain with the Crimson Tide. Current USC general manager Dave Emerick is expected to stay with the program but transition to a different role.

Bowden’s rise in college football has been rapid. He began his career in a low-level role at Cincinnati before climbing the ranks to become the Bearcats‘ director of recruiting. When Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman moved from Cincinnati to South Bend as defensive coordinator in 2021, Bowden followed and quickly became a key figure in the Fighting Irish’s recruiting efforts.

Notre Dame now faces the challenge of replacing Bowden during a critical recruiting period, including an upcoming Junior Day event. Meanwhile, USC hopes Bowden’s expertise will help revitalize its football program as it aims to compete at the highest levels of college football.