Lincoln Riley is fully entrenched in the USC football lifestyle, and it seems even the sudden resignation of the man who hired him will not be enough to change that at this point.
“I will always be appreciative of Mike Bohn for his role in bringing us to USC and certainly wish both he and his family all the best,” Riley tweeted in response to the athletic director's departure. “With the current state of the programs in our Athletic Department, there is a really special opportunity ahead for all of us Trojans.”
Although that type of response was always going to be stated by the head coach, fans needed to hear it. A big change to the program's hierarchy just as the Trojans are re-entering the limelight is naturally going to make people ponder the possibility of internal strife. As of now, there has been no inkling of any conflict. Riley only reiterated the program's towering expectations for the immediate future.
“I have full confidence that our university leadership will continue to do everything possible to support us,” he said. “I truly believe that the best days of USC Athletics are right in front of us, and I continue to be totally invested and excited to be a part of it.”
Bohn helped lay the foundation of this USC football revitalization. They had serious College Football Playoff aspirations until the Pac-12 Championship and will be making a highly lucrative leap to the Big Ten Conference in 2024. Whoever inherits the AD position, should have a cushy job. The burden falls on Lincoln Riley to meet the new standards, which are really the old ones fans took for granted during the Pete Carroll regime.
It is great he has faith in the university, but Riley remains the most important person in this operation.
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