By Jay Berry
Lincoln Riley is just halfway through his third season as head coach at USC , and the program might already be questioning their 6-figure investment.
USC hired Riley in 2022 to a 10-year contract worth $110 million. The hiring was not without drama. While he was still in Oklahoma , there were rumors that he was heading to Southern Cal. Riley denied the rumors, but the following day, just hours after they had played Oklahoma State , the move was announced.
At the time, USC Athletic Director Mike Bohn said he was ecstatic. And how could he not be? He was getting a coach who had taken Oklahoma to the college football playoffs three times: a thrilling overtime Rose Bowl semifinal game against Georgia , a loss to Alabama , and a loss to the juggernaut LSU team.
During Riley’s first season in Southern Cal in 2022, they finished the season with a record of 11–3. They got blown out by Utah in the Pac-12 Championship Game and then lost to Tulane in the Cotton Bowl.