Lincoln Riley has been the head coach of the USC Trojans since 2022.
He’s gone 35-18 in that stretch and has had USC in a bowl game in every season.
Making a bowl is the floor at USC, though. This is a program that expects to win national championships, and Riley has yet to even lead the Trojans to the College Football Playoff.
That has to change, presumably, if he wants to stay at USC long-term in his current role.
As such, this upcoming 2026 season is extremely important for both him and the Trojans. Speaking with the media at the Big Ten spring meetings earlier, Riley clearly is feeling the pressure of the expectations on him.
He also seems to believe his program is in a good spot, though.
“We have absolutely taken steps now,” Riley said, according to ESPN’s Adam Rittenberger. “Honestly, now it’s just time to go do it. It’s time. The program’s ready for it.”
The moves Riley has made include hiring longtime TCU head coach Gary Patterson, 66, as USC’s new defensive coordinator. USC will open up a new on-campus football performance center this summer, which should help both the current players and be a nice attraction on the recruiting trail.
Speaking of recruit, Riley brought in the No. 5-ranked 2026 recruiting class, and he has 32 new players enrolled as freshmen.
USC is also set to move into its new on-campus football performance center this summer.
USC will have a tough Big Ten schedule in 2026
If USC wants to make noise and actually make the CFP in 2026, it’s worth noting that Riley and his squad will have to step up. Now in the Big Ten, the Trojans have a tough slate of games ahead of them — even with Notre Dame dropping off.
USC must play Ohio State, Oregon, Washington, Indiana and Penn State in 2026. The games against the Hoosiers and Nittany Lions are on the road, and Indiana is the defending national champion.
It’s going to be easier said than done for USC in 2026, but Riley, 42, believes he’s up to the task.
“The years here, going through all we’ve gone through, and the challenge here, the opportunity, it’s made me a lot better coach,” Riley said. “I’m a lot better coach than at any point during the years in Oklahoma. I’ve definitely learned and grown a lot, and there’s a lot of things that I’ve learned now that I wish I had known back then, or been better at.”
