Paul Finebaum Calls Major College Football Coach a 'Fraud'

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jaron Spor | Last updated Jun 4, 2025 2:00 PM ET

In the world of sports, some teams consistently rise to the top and maintain their success for long periods, while others experience fluctuations in performance.

The teams that remain at the pinnacle are often referred to as the "blue bloods" of their sport. Examples of such teams in college football include the Alabama Crimson Tide, Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Oklahoma Sooners, USC Trojans and Ohio State Buckeyes, among others.

While many of these programs continue to perform well today, one team has encountered difficulties: USC. This offseason, the Trojans were ranked as the second-best program in the history of college football. However, they have struggled in recent years.

They have achieved only five 10-win seasons since 2009. In contrast, Alabama has achieved 15 10-win seasons during that same timeframe, while Notre Dame has had nine, Oklahoma has had 11 and Ohio State has had 14.

On "The Paul Finebaum Show," a caller asked the SEC Network analyst whether USC would ever regain its prominence. Finebaum expressed optimism, stating that he believes they can return to success, but he feels that head coach Lincoln Riley may be a factor holding them back.

"I do believe USC is capable because there is so much to offer there," Finebaum said. "They just happen to have a fraud as their head coach."

Finebaum has been quite critical of Lincoln Riley's tenure at USC, noting that high expectations have not been met with corresponding results.

Riley previously found considerable success at Oklahoma, compiling a 55-10 record over his first five seasons in Norman. This success led to four Big 12 championships and three consecutive appearances in the College Football Playoff.

When he took over at USC, the program had been struggling, and Riley was perceived as a potential savior. The Trojans had not won 10 games since 2017 and were coming off a disappointing 4-8 season in 2021. In his first year, Riley met expectations by leading USC to an 11-3 record and reaching the Pac-12 Championship Game, though it lost 47-24 to Utah. He also helped quarterback Caleb Williams win the Heisman Trophy.

However, the following seasons did not go as well. USC began the 2023 season with high hopes, as Williams returned as quarterback and the team held a preseason ranking of No. 6. Ultimately, the Trojans ended the season with an 8-5 record, losing five of their last seven games. The 2024 season started positively with a win over LSU, but the team finished with a disappointing 7-6 record.

This led Finebaum to comment that it's difficult to imagine a coach performing worse than Riley has at USC.

Despite these challenges, there may be a turning point for Riley and USC after two disappointing seasons. The Trojans boast the No. 1 recruiting class for 2026, with 27 commitments so far, more than any other team.

USC is set to open the upcoming season against Missouri State on Aug. 30 at 7:30 p.m. ET.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: