USC Trojans' Lincoln Riley On Hot Seat Entering Pivotal Football Season?

"Well the way I’ve always looked at USC, I equate them to Ohio State, Alabama, Texas, and Florida. I’ve always looked at USC as one of the top five jobs in America. I have a lot of respect for Lincoln Riley. I’m not gonna call for jobs. I promised myself I’d never do that. However, when seven or eight wins is acceptable at USC, I don’t agree with that,” National Championship head coach Urban Meyer said. 

“I think you take a five-hour net and drop it on USC and you see the best players in the country. So, I think this is the year. Here’s a a question I have about USC, they have the No. 1 recruiting class in the country right now. Shouldn't they have that every year? I mean, USC is USC,” Meyer said closing.

Meyer is correct. The Trojans have fired coaches with similar records and winning percentages as Riley through three or more seasons; however, the forward momentum the Trojans have on the recruiting trail and the investment into their staff make this a unique situation. The glimpse of the future looks promising, yet the reality of the situation is that the Trojans need proof of concept now to see that vision through.

“Every step right now feels good. You feel the progress within the walls right now, the ability to be able to go out. The progress has put us back in a position where we feel like we can have an opportunity to bring in the very best into our program, whether it’s staff members, whether it’s recruits. You go into this recruiting cycle, and you feel like you got a shot to go add the very best people in the business, the people that are going to help propel USC forward,” Riley said earlier this offseason.

The addition of general manager Chad Bowden has been instrumental in the recent development of the recruiting success as well. Bowden’s one of the best recruiters, forward thinkers, and evaluators in the game, and he’s young. He’s a program changer and has a proven track record already. The fight isn’t just for this season; it’s for the next decade. 

If the USC staff wants that opportunity, they’ll have to put the results on the field and do it as soon as possible. The Trojans are investing in the now and they’ll have to provide results to reap the benefits in the future.