USC Athletic Director Lynn Swann 'Blindsided' by Admissions, Recruiting Scandal

University of Southern California athletic director Lynn Swann was "blindsided" by the school's involvement in a college bribery scandal.

In an interview with Arash Markazi of the Los Angeles Times, Swann publicly commented on the situation for the first time:

"I think everybody was blindsided by this. The fact that it was a senior member of the staff and also our men's and women's head water polo coach. ...These are people that have been here a long time and people who had been here during difficult times and had seen bad things done and knew better. Everyone was completely shocked, caught off guard and taken by surprise."

Former senior associate athletic director Donna Heinel was arrested Tuesday after being indicted for allegedly accepting more than $1.3 million in bribes for helping 24 non-athletes gain admission to the university. Former water polo coach Jovan Vavic was also arrested for allegedly receiving $250,000 in bribes as part of the scandal.

Both Heinel and Vavic were fired.

As a result of the scandal, Swann noted the Trojans will make changes to ensure no employee holds as much responsibility as Heinel did.

"We will work with the university to implement the best system," Swann said.

While the university has come under fire, the 67-year-old Swann said he has no intentions of stepping down amid "misplaced" blame: "I have not considered resigning. I'm committed to this school, and I'm committed to this job. This was an opportunity that presented itself to me. I never went out looking for this job, but this is a job I feel I'm prepared for."

Swann, who USC hired in April 2016, added that he would like to serve as the athletic director for "10 years."

He was a member of the 1972 Trojans national championship team and was an All-American in 1973. The wideout would go on to be the 21st overall pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1974. There, he put together a Hall of Fame career and won four Super Bowls, including MVP in Super Bowl X.