Lincoln Riley Opens Up: Reviving USC, Attacking Adversity & Developing Elite QBs

USC Football Head Coach Lincoln Riley joins Adam Breneman on today's episode of Next Up. Lincoln Riley gets candid about his coaching journey from his early days as a GA at Texas Tech, how he shaped Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray into Heisman winners in Oklahoma, and his shocking exit from OU and leap to USC. Coach Riley also reflects back on his first two years building USC football, the coaching changes he's made on the defensive side of the ball, Caleb Williams, and much much more.
PRIZEPICKS: Get a $100 Sign Up Bonus with code "AdamB" or this link: bit.ly/PrizePicksAdamB
SNHU: Learn more about SNHU's Sport Management Bachelor's Degree with this link: snhu.edu/adambreneman
NIL: Email me at [e-mail] to learn how switching your shipping provider can support NIL efforts at your favorite school
EKRIN ATHLETICS: Get 25% off your order with code NEXTUP at www.ekrin.com
FOLLOW NEXT UP WITH ADAM BRENEMAN HERE:
► TWITTER | / nextupwithadam
► TIKTOK | / nextupwithadam
► INSTAGRAM | / nextupwithab
► KZbin | / @nextupwithadam
For sponsorships or business inquiries reach out to: [e-mail]
Next Up is hosted by Adam Breneman and is presented by The College Sports Company. On Next Up, Adam Breneman sits down with the biggest names in sports and lets them tell their stories, unfiltered. Adam is a former All-American and Penn State alum, media personality, college football analyst for ESPN, and co-founder of The College Sports Company (@TheCollegeSportsCo).
CHAPTERS
00:00-Intro
03:05-Catching Up
03:55-Taking Over at USC
05:31-Initial Changes Made at USC
07:04-Reflecting on First Two Years at USC
10:11-Developing QBs
12:29-Evaluating Talent
14:26-Common Traits Amongst Riley’s QBs
16:01-Balancing Head Coaching Responsibilities
19:02-Young Coaching Journey
21:35-Transfer Portal & Roster Management
24:54-Moving to the Big 10
26:33-University Alignment
27:58-Time at Oklahoma
29:31-Investing in Creative
31:44-Overcoming Adversity
34:12-Defensive Changes
36:27-Path to a Championship
39:11-New Facility
41:32-Riley’s Why
#uscfootball #USC #usctrojans #collegefootball #CFB #podcast

[@josholiver4815]

What a great time to drop this interview with him.

[@madmaxxcrosby]

Shit happens bum

[@OkiePokeMart]

@@madmaxxcrosbysay you are mad without saying you are mad. Lol

[@OkiePokeMart]

The best way of saying I sucked my second year is saying “We over achieved our first” and he has said this so many times. I wouldn’t be pleased hearing that being a USC fan.

[@TheForgottenMan270]

USC did over achieve. And as an USC fan I know this. 11-1 was not the expectation by anyone, especially with Grinch as the DC. I was disappointed the Grinch was brought along, but it also led to Riley firing him and bring in an elite defensive coaching staff. So it actually led to USC's favor. When USC went 11-1, that became the expectation. The truth is, no one was ready for USC and Caleb Williams that first year, but they were ready the following year, and it showed. Being pleased or not has nothing to do with it. It's recognizing the reality of it that matters, and the reality is USC did over achieve in year one. I'm not the only USC fan who recognizes that, there are many more who do.

[@greg7964]

I think any USC fan like myself just need to see the results on the field speak for themselves. He is right that the road is jagged, but it wouldn't have been too jagged if he hired a defensive staff like the one he currently has when he got hired. Instead, he made gambles, bringing Grinch, then retaining him after the Cotton bowl, then slapping the fanbase with the untrained eye comment. It backfired on him drastically, and he only kept Nua. It is easy for him to say the improvements so far on defense is real progress and not some idea. He did have that mindset the last 2 years with Grinch. I'd rather listen to the staff tell the fans that the progress is real and it is happening rather than Riley saying it because whether you hate Riley or not, he has had terrible defenses, and I am not believing what he says is progess until week 1 vs LSU. Last offseason, he said he was going to be more involved with the defense, and that absolutely did nothing. I think to teach winning is to be consistent in it. Some players like Jude Wolfe, Max Williams, Nick Figueroa, and a few others saw an 8-5 season their freshman year in 2019. They ended their USC careers with another 8-5 season. And seasons tend to be judged by how you finish, not how you start. Nobody cares that you started 6-0, you went 2-5 to finish. That is not winning. I want to see USC back to what it once was, but Lincoln needs to settle down with a lot of the things he says because there are things that he said the last 2 years that have backfired on him. I'm not one of those who are saying he needs to be fired because I had spent too many years wanting Clay Helton fired and rooting for my team to lose so he can be gone. Just have to wait for the ball to be kicked off the tee to see the team performance

[@MrKk36]

He trusted his friend way to much and it cost us but I trust LR even though it's been a little bumpy

[@greg7964]

@@MrKk36 it was going to be bumpy anyway given what he walked into but things would have been a bit smoother had he set aside loyalty

[@josefweese6979]

Wow, a reasonable USC fan, I didn't know y'all existed. Great take

[@eljudah7]

Set a side loyalty wow! Wouldn't want to be your friend.✌️✌️

[@greg7964]

@@eljudah7 Remember the loyalty Clay Helton gave to center Toa lobendahn? Or to Clancy Pendergast? Lincoln Riley to Alex Grinch?

[@Esipula]

This was a Dope interview! Perfect Timing ✌🏽✌🏽💯💯

[@ericbassham751]

😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆

[@David_USC]

Great interview ✌🏾

[@NextUpWithAdam]

He shared a lot of how he looks at the season ahead!

[@subliminalprivate]

The interviews you have been doing recently have been amazing, keep up the good work!

[@ryanestrada5289]

Thank you for the longer interview. I was always hoping you would do longer videos.

[@NextUpWithAdam]

Appreciate Coach Riley's time!!!

[@jeremy.oneill]

Great interview - but the ads are killing me man. Felt like overkill.

[@BornAgainBoom]

✌🏾on Sc ❤️💛. I trust the directions Lincoln bringing us

[@blessembreaks]

because your a casual just like 99% of our fan base. fans like u make us look so silly

[@richiethomas5428]

@@blessembreakschill bro he’s just supporting his coach 😂

[@wishihadavette2392]

@@blessembreaksshut up

[@OkiePokeMart]

@@wishihadavette2392lmao typical USC fan.

[@wishihadavette2392]

@@OkiePokeMart for telling someone to quit hating? Okay..

[@davidkeeling4419]

No hard questions Adam. When you asked a question and didn't really get a close enough answer and you didn't follow through to get a better answer? Was this the arrangement in advance that if you weren't nice, you weren't going to get the interview? LR's answers were stuff we have heard before, and many times. So what were you trying to acconplish as an interviewer?

[@ericbassham751]

Stinky will black ball a reporter for being hard on him... Linky is a coward..

[@user-wt9ro5hg9n]

You know people if Lincoln Riley was at some other university. You wouldn't hear anything but how good of a coach he is. It's only when the haters claim that USC wasn't a top 5 job anymore and he wouldn't go there. It would be some LSU or some other top university. Yet when he turned down like I said the LSU job. It kill the haters like big ear Paul and his band of SEC haters. Well he's at USC people, get over it.

[@datdude_mp123]

*Brian Kelly and his fake Cajun accent has entered the chat* - wait what???

[@josefweese6979]

Jesse what the fuck are you talking about? Everyone hated Riley and Oklahoma but the second he went to the prophylactics everyone started glazing him up like he was the second coming of Saban

[@mitchconner2021]

Ole one foot Lincoln. Always one foot in and one foot out.

[@alohatvj]

Amazing coach 👏 🙌 😊. Fight on Trojans ✌️

[@user-us8rv7nf9v]

He is a great offensive mind, however a terrible fit for SC. The lack of recruiting success in California is alarming.

[@ihfrank7334]

Bruh. Everyone wants a bag. And that bag aint found at USC or UCLA. Its found in Eugene and everywhere else. And the donors and Folt aint doin sh** to open up that bag. The staff LR assembled on defense is actually insane and the fact that Coach Henderson and company were able to flip top commits away from their hometown when Georgia is right there for em. Speaks volumes. Then other schools opened the bag for em and USC fell short of their cash promises. And all USC and staff saw after that was a** cheeks and elbows. They were GONE. Until that NIL is fixed, every TOP recruit or 5 star+.. will pass on USC. CA or not.

[@dougfarrer1693]

​@@ihfrank7334That is correct

[@liljc44life]

@@ihfrank7334Has nothing to do with NIL. Riley CANNOT recruit. He’s terrible. USC hired a coach who benefited from Bob Stoops’ success.. Riley has never built a program from scratch. He’s an offensive coordinator trying to be a head coach.

[@ihfrank7334]

@@liljc44life youre not a USC fan. and you're obviously a Lincoln Riley hater. LR aint perfect, but he definitely doesnt have the bag OU has at the moment or any major player for that matter. Why do you think all these 5 star players committed and decommited when it came down to it? Money. Anyone in the know, knows how stubborn donors and the president at USC is being with paying their athletes aka the NIL. No kid is gonna commit just cause, there are prior agreements and those agreements at USC arent being met (aka money) prior to ending their recruitment. The fact that Lincoln Riley and company have had a ton of verbals only to be flipped to schools like Oregon who have Nike money and SEC schools who have been payin players for decades speaks volumes of the body of work. Recruiting isnt his problem, MONEY to solidify the commitments are. I want to see the amount of crow the whole nation is gonna eat when USCs defense starts to eat with this new revamped defensive staff. A Lincoln Riley offense stacked with just a middle of the road improving defense is going to speak for itself. Everyone across the nation thought the day would never come where LR would part ways with Alex. Now that LR got his all star cast on the defensive side of the ball, the whole nation is watching extremely closely at the possible run LR can make at USC with finally a complete staff. If anything, I would be hard pressed to say, if LR doesnt start to get the NIL support, I think (and many others) LR leaves USC.

[@liljc44life]

@@ihfrank7334 Dude, he CANNOT recruit! He’s awful at it! Has nothing to do with NIL.. He’s a mediocre coach who lived off Bob Stoops’ success. He’s an offensive coordinator trying to be a head coach.. USC will be lucky to win 4 games this year.. He dodges opponents like Ole Miss and he tried to cancel the LSU game lol.. You guys should’ve hired Urban Meyer

[@TheSportsandFilmFellowship]

Miller Moss should be great

[@NextUpWithAdam]

Really excited to see what he does in 2024!

[@Simplestdude10]

My GOAT ✌️ FIGHT ON!

[@OkiePokeMart]

That is sad.

[@dnamatrixsystems1407]

I love coach Linc

[@ericbassham751]

😆😆😆 give it time and you won't... Dude is a clown...

[@lindencamelback2305]

Its tough moving up to the big leagues.

[@TennesseeTrojan55]

It’s crazy how many people (SEC fans) want to see USC fail. They don’t want us going on another 30-0 run. Whooping up on all their best teams in their stadiums. Time loves to repeat itself though, so we shall see

[@DSTRAZ98]

Trust SEC fans don’t care. It’s just bitter Oklahoma fans, they have nothing else to do

[@TennesseeTrojan55]

@@DSTRAZ98 auburn and Arkansas fans care. LSU fans are going to care after opening weekend.

[@rahb2096]

Sec fans care more about the sec then their own team 😂

[@DSTRAZ98]

@@TennesseeTrojan55 I went to an SEC school and we were not worried about USC 🤣we were barely worried about Mizzou ( shout out Drew Lock)

[@TennesseeTrojan55]

@@DSTRAZ98 you bout the only one bubba

[@averygaming8707]

THAT'S MY HC

[@zachcoggins9018]

Kitty cat (you should get what I’m calling Lincoln)

[@Mzbbxhfbfnsx]

We fully behind you Coach Riley , down with the trolls. Fight on !

[@ThePodcastAboutNothing1]

Honestly looking back I’m happy with the Coach we have at Oklahoma…knowing that allowed me to be a fan of USC and Stinkin Lincoln again #BOOMER #FARTON

[@Rob_uno]

You guys just lost to Arizona. I’m confused what did you guys do that makes your coach now better for your team?

[@rahb2096]

True y’all lost Arizona who sc beat and was laughed at for barely beating 😂

[@soota6083]

Oklahoma fans are like the jilted ex who can't let go...they follow their ex wherever they go and cause a scene... smh

[@liljc44life]

@@Rob_unoWhat was USC’s record last season?

[@liljc44life]

@@Rob_unoLet’s compare recruiting classes too lol

[@lawrencesmith9059]

Riley is a great coach and this year will prove it. He is working with a roster that is only B+, but he will make it look A or A-. The formula for USC is top 3 offense and top 20 defense this year. Once he proves it this year, the recruiting will solidify. Riley will need to force a change in the NIL leadership soon. Fight on coach!

[@OkiePokeMart]

You sir are delusional. Top 20 defense? With what line? Those smaller guys won’t cut it big 10. Double Bear teams will run all over USC again. Top 3 offense with again no line there either, and a brand new qb? You don’t have Kaleb. 🤞

[@rwrae72]

@@OkiePokeMart He said the "formula is..." okie. In other words, the goal is....

[@liljc44life]

He’s not a great coach.

[@mikeedwards7819]

FIGHT ON ✌️

[@Mzbbxhfbfnsx]

Interview would have been much better without the consistent giggles and chuckles. Just some constructive feedback for the future my guy.

[@freshprince1784]

These comments😂😂😂😂😂

[@onedirtyharry7212]

The critics always want to put down LR and USC expecting instant results but have plenty of patience with other programs. For example, I invite everyone to look up Kyle Whittingham's record over the last 20 years and you will see he has had down years and yet no one calls for his head. Patience is a virtue and I bet Utah is glad they practiced it. Furthermore, LR inherited a poor culture from Clay Helton which has made it tough to recruit. LR seems to be really trying here! He even woke up and got a new defensive staff. He's learning and patience is needed. Not everything is in his control.

[@B_3_3_3]

36:11-36:16 🥴

[@NickMac91]

I don't think people truly understand the dumpster fire that Riley inherited. The team had just come off a 4-8 record, their recruiting was below some of the worst programs in the Pac-12 at the time , and was nationally ranked with teams like Western Kentucky and SMU for like 2-3 recruiting cycles which that alone would tank any juggernaut program. SC football had been mismanaged since 2010 and the sanctions didn't help either. SC currently is alot like how Michigan was when Harbaugh took over, historical program on bad times and it took along time to climb that moutain but they did. The mans an offensive/QB guru, if he can plug in a great D coordinator that is in it for the long haul and grab some truly great recruits this program can become lethal but it will take time. Fight On ✌️

[@johnwhite2576]

Haha obviously recorded last week🤫

[@rwrae72]

Why are chokelahoma fans still monitoring developments at SC? lol

[@lynndollar1013]

Because it tells us a lot about how he was driving our program into mediocrity.

[@6lazn220]

@@lynndollar1013oh my god. you’ve blatantly admitted your obsession 😭😭 bro it’s been over 3 years. GET. OVER. IT.

[@lynndollar1013]

@@6lazn220 haha, ohh no, I'm relishing in Riley prooving to be what we thought he was. We lknew he was a fraud. I'll be watching every game and laughing at you silly people who thought you were getting a great coach. Having too much fun to " get.over it " .

[@6lazn220]

@@lynndollar1013 dude get over yourself. you know what’s funny is this hate is merely one sided. you no life get over it. and if you’re too simple minded (which is very oklahoma of you) to realize that “watching every game” is an obsession then i wouldn’t blame you. dimwit. oklahoma was slaughtered arizona 😭😭😂😂😂😂😭😭😭😭😭😂😂😂😂

[@DMWolFGurL]

Because it'll be funny when you guys finally realize you got a lemon disguised as a mercedes.

[@kemondretaylor2640]

Coach Riley is a great coach

[@The_Loathsome]

Guy is only 39 and people are treating him like he’s some 64 year old stuck in his ways. Credit to him for letting go of his friend and getting the admin to hire a great defensive staff. It was a year late, but better late than never.

[@doncoroleone7815]

Lincoln Riley's defenses are almost as bad as his brisket.

[@HawaiianStyle808]

Southern bbq is too dry

[@ThePodcastAboutNothing1]

@@HawaiianStyle808that’s a damn lie

[@mitchconner2021]

Lul TBOW

[@bkmason57]

Fun fact: ALL of our QBs are rated 4th tier. This season is gonna be UGLY.

[@brentoniverson1020]

Not a HC...more of an OC.

[@user-wt9ro5hg9n]

Haters and haters, people get a life, you haters been hating on Lincoln Riley since he told LSU, no thanks and gave his top job at Oklahoma. How know that USC on the right track. By the hate mail, the podcast talk show losers and the big 3 sports recruiting USC haters, 247, on3 and Rivals. Loser. They all act like have love but they don't. You see their shows on KZbin asking USC committed players, why USC. The constant drum beat of trying to get JuJu Lewis to decommit. What they should be talking about is Alabama and Nick Saban. What it's going to be like without him at the helm. The sports world or the SEC fans act as if Nick Saban was a nobody and can easily be replaced. The true silence on this big deal has been amazing. So instead of you haters worrying about USC and Lincoln Riley, worried about Alabama. The one team in the SEC that ran over the whole SEC, for years. Under some ex USC coaches!!! I mean made the SEC great defenses disappear, man

[@Sportsgeek1991]

Riley has one foot out the door already , SC isn't supporting him how they should.

[@adamlamparello8701]

You're exactly right

[@Atreyu96]

Yep, it's been clear that the top at USC simply does not care about USC football like other blue bloods in the South and Ohio State

[@Mzbbxhfbfnsx]

Wtf are you ? U get on every single Lincoln Riley video with some stupid comments. I’m just going to assume your another angry spurned oklahoma fan

[@blessembreaks]

lmfao. yeah blame the program and not the coach. what a casual

[@mikereed9580]

Yeah 1/4 of the interview was talking about providing the best new football facility in college football and how great Jen has been as AD but you chime in with this comment 😂😂 did you even watch the interview?

[@jesusangelsanzgarcia9360]

Southerners still think we have Grinch as our DC. Y'all are in for an awakening

[@timothydesanto5822]

No, no they aren’t lol

[@wishihadavette2392]

@@timothydesanto5822they really are

[@rahb2096]

@@timothydesanto5822well def revisit this

[@brettk9316]

Good luck on those nattys after just losing 2 five star defensive players you desperately needed!

[@BigSmith5572]

Two recruits don't make a damn team bro. Cry much in life? 😢

[@lakeshow5647]

Let’s guess your crybaby ass hater 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@brentoniverson1020]

​​@@BigSmith5572 We dropped from #3 in recruiting to #18 in four days. Hopefully we keep Juju? We've regressing two years in a row since CLR arrived. I see a 9-4 first year in the Big 10...not good.

[@blue_diamond_gem]

Cry on!

[@brianjacob8728]

Riley has had 2 seasons at usc and he's still discussing reviving? McKay NC in 3 rd seaon, JRI NC in his 3rd seson. PC NC in 3rd season. Riley? still doesn't get USC and isn't up to the job. Just fire this bum and move on. He can't even acknowledge that his teams need to tackle in practice.

[@billybenson974]

He continues to keep running scared from SEC games and losing 5stars

[@destinyreturns4885]

Yeah, that's why he opens with LSU, but thanks for stopping by.

[@billybenson974]

​@@destinyreturns4885Lincoln been trying to get out of LSU game for about a month or longer, even was reported on Colin Coward show

[@bigdofba]

He has failed tremendously so far. His team is getting worse. When they go 8-4 or 7-5 this year will the fanbase turn on him? He is getting paid an awful lot….

[@user-wt9ro5hg9n]

To the rest of you band of haters, go find some dam defense over in the SEC. You claim that the one thing you all did well, no you haven't played defense in years. Lane Kiffin and Sark claim over to the SEC and straight ran through it at Alabama. I mean straight ran over these great so called defenses. It looked like the SEC played defense when your still running them two wr/ fullback and tailback old school bullshit. Yeah your scores were like 10-3 or 7-3 you know them boring ass games. Then Nick got smart and changed the game on the SEC. Man did you all get made a fool of, Lane Kiffin and Sark straight ran that west coast style offense on ya and changed the way the SEC plays football over their. Now all you want is our west recruiting, you can't get enough of it. So shut hating on USC and Lincoln Riley. We made Alabama the one true champion over there, famous again!!!

[@rickyl04]

Boring 🥱

[@blessembreaks]

i laugh (well its more a i give up, cant believe this is happening laugh) at the fact Brent Venables just got a contract extension and his team is going in the right direction while this clown is leading us into embarrassment and ruining all local pipelines for high school recruits. The Sooner fans were right and i was too stupid to drink the kool-aid

[@rahb2096]

Right direction? Did you miss when they lost to the same Arizona team usc beat 😂 nobody is ruining any Pipelines Oregon is trying to pay their way to a championship but that rarely works out for teams

[@blessembreaks]

@@rahb2096 ok casual. we lose all the local recruits. Lincoln doesnt even care about the local kids. And yes winning 10 games while landing all the recruits they want is called the right direction. We won 8 games last season with a generational QB and we cant land any big time lineman on either side of the ball. None of the good local kids want to come here. U sound like the typical delusional SC fan who embarasses us. Delusional casuals like yourself think ppl hate on us but nobody hates on us cuz we arent any good and outside of 2 yrs we have been irrelevant since Pete left us. 2 out of 16 yrs. Its pathetic, and the only haters are ppl like u who cry about Oregon but guess what? They take all our recruits and they win more games than us, it doesnt matter if they pay for it then we need to as well

[@soota6083]

Bro what? USC is 19-8 with LR and OK is 16-11 with BV. USC has had a higher avg rating for their class 2 out of the 3 recruiting cycles vs OK. There is nothing that suggests BV is a better coach than LR despite what jaded OK fans would have you believe. USC's problem is NOT the coach, it's their NIL. Everyone keeps saying how USC has a lot of money but those donors must be stingy AF cuz other programs are spending way more than USC.

[@rwrae72]

You are a sooner fan so ...

[@cp0224]

Liberal Lincoln Riley

[@HawaiianStyle808]

Poor cvckservative

[@cp0224]

@@HawaiianStyle808 what is a woman? Oh and what did Biden do for the people of Maui? “Hawaiian style”

[@HawaiianStyle808]

@@cp0224 a woman? Something you never had before?

[@cp0224]

@@HawaiianStyle808 I’ve had many women before. you get the Dylan mulvaney types I’m assuming pussy