Sports host Colin Cowherd had an interesting take to share about USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley.
Riley is approaching his fourth season with the Trojans, leading the program since 2022. He has elevated them to a solid status as one of the better teams at the Power Five level.
Cowherd expressed his thoughts about Riley during an Aug. 25 appearance on the Joel Klatt Show. He explained why this USC team is different than any Riley-led team he’s ever seen.
“So the truth is, Lincoln Riley's unfireable, I mean, Brian Kelly—you can't run him out of town. They're struggling to make NIL payments. USC just spent $300 million on the facility, $18 million on NIL. What, Jen Cohen's going to go, ‘You know what? I want an $80 million check for Lincoln and then $80 [million] to hire his replacement.' So, the bottom line is, Lincoln's safe.”
What lies ahead for Lincoln Riley, USC
Colin Cowherd saying Lincoln Riley is unfireable is intriguing, but reasonable. The USC Trojans have dedicated a lot of resources to the football program, giving the head coach everything he needs to succeed.
Riley boasts a great record of 26-14 after three seasons, including a decent 17-10 display in conference play. He even helped the Trojans transition from the Pac-12 to the Big Ten in 2024, showing how he can take the team to new heights in an elite conference.
USC's inaugural season in the Big Ten with Riley at the helm was solid, finishing with a 7-6 record. Going 4-5 in league play, they tied for ninth place in the conference standings but did enough to secure bowl eligibility. They ended the year on a positive note, beating the SEC's Texas A&M Aggies 35-31 in the Las Vegas Bowl.
The Trojans will prepare for their season opener, being at home. They host the Missouri State Bears on Aug. 30 at 4:30 p.m. ET.
