Lincoln Riley expected to be named next USC head coach
Lincoln Riley and the Oklahoma Sooners suffered a surprising loss on Saturday to rivals Oklahoma State. Immediately following the game, Riley made it clear he was not going to leave town to take the LSU job.
But what about USC? A bombshell report dropped Sunday afternoon claiming Riley is taking the job to lead the Trojans. That is huge news considering the success he has had at Oklahoma and the quarterback talent he has attracted to the program.
Breaking: In a stunning move on Sunday, Lincoln Riley accepted the head coaching position at USC, according to @Mark_Schlabach and multiple reports. https://t.co/kXHGywwPMx
USC has been seeking a new star coach ever since Pete Carroll left the program following the 2009 season. Clay Helton was fired at the start of the season after a tenure that went downhill following a successful start that featured a Rose Bowl win.
Lincoln Riley is now reportedly showing up after a fantastic start to his coaching career with Oklahoma. He is 55-10 in five seasons and his team routinely finishes in the top 10 of the final rankings. The wins come at a program that has seen NFL-ready quarterbacks pass through on a regular basis. Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray both going No. 1 overall makes Oklahoma the place to be for top quarterbacks.
Riley is trying to get that recruiting pedigree to Southern California at USC. They have not had double-digit wins since 2017 and fans have been ready for a replacement since then. The fact that Helton had a long leash assures a coach like Riley that there is loyalty within the program.
It makes sense for Lincoln Riley. Go out to SoCal, recruit your butt off, live in LA, join a winnable conference and stay out of the SEC. Oh, and get paaaaid. Makes a lot of sense to me.
The development comes as a huge blow to the Oklahoma program as they prepare to make the jump to the SEC. As for USC, Lincoln Riley's initial goal is to get the school and the PAC-12 conference back into the national spotlight with a berth in the College Football Playoff. Getting USC back to its former glory would set up the now 38-year-old Riley to choose any job he wants, whether it is in college football or the NFL.
Oklahoma's association with the SEC means the program may fall from its current level of success. Trying to compete against Alabama and Georgia alone is a tough task, and we have seen other programs rise and fall in a conference that routinely cannibalizes itself.
USC is not in a similar situation, and Riley could become a legend in Los Angeles early in his coaching career.