Before him, USC would just hire famous former athletes for the job. These were people with no experience running as massive an organization as USC athletics, and did not have the savvy to do so. The new AD is the opposite of that, and actually delayed firing Helton so he could get other elements of the house in order before needing a new coach. I think Aranda would be in a great position to succeed at USC.
An article that talks about some of it: