USC football HC Lincoln Riley shuts down speculation with firm message on his future
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USC football head coach Lincoln Riley pushed back against speculation about his future Tuesday, reaffirming his commitment to the Trojans amid questions about his tenure and rumors linking him to other openings.
Riley’s response comes during his fifth season at USC, where he arrived after leaving the Oklahoma Sooners in late 2021. His comments addressed whether he wants to remain with the program, although they do not establish what decisions the university might make about its coaching position.
ESPN’s Paolo Uggetti shared Riley’s remarks on X, formerly Twitter, on Tuesday night amid mounting speculation about the USC head coach’s future.
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“If I didn’t want to be at this place, I wouldn’t have come here in the first place. I’ve had plenty of opportunities to leave. This is where I want to be. This is the right place for me. I’m the right person to be here. That’s as honest and transparent as I can be with you guys”
The scrutiny followed USC’s 24-7 loss at Wisconsin in Week 8, which dropped the Trojans to 6-2 overall and 3-2 in Big Ten play. Coming off a bye week, USC finished with minus-17 rushing yards. Its seven points marked the lowest scoring output by a Riley-coached team.
USC dropped out of the AP Top 25 after entering the matchup vs. the Badgers ranked No. 16. The Trojans host No. 2 Ohio State at the Coliseum in Week 9, with No. 4 Indiana and No. 7 UCLA also remaining on the schedule, leaving little margin for error in their College Football Playoff pursuit.
Uggetti later shared a longer version of Riley’s comments, in which the coach reflected on his early challenges at Oklahoma and how those experiences shaped his approach to scrutiny. Riley described that pressure as a familiar part of leading a prominent college football program, where expectations remain high through the highs and lows of a season.
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