Would Lincoln Riley leave USC? Trojans coach addresses rumors after win over Northwestern

Given his track record of success, and in an era where anything can happen, USC's Lincoln Riley will always be a hot name whenever the coaching carousel starts spinning. He's shown before that he isn't afraid to leave a sitting job for another opportunity and, after a tough couple years with the Trojans, his star is on the rise again as he has USC in the mix for a College Football Playoff spot. 

But, according to Riley, he's not interested in going anywhere. 

"You guys know what I sacrificed to come here," Riley said when asked about coaching rumors following his team's 38-17 win over Northwestern Friday night. "I'm where I need to be."

With the Northwestern victory, USC moved to 7-2 (5-1 Big Ten) on the year. The Trojans have already matched their win total from last season and they're on track for their best record in conference play since Riley's 2022 debut season, when they went to the Pac-12 Championship Game and nearly reached the four-team playoff. 

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Riley's Trojans also landed at No. 19 in the initial College Football Playoff rankings, which puts them within earshot of the projected 12-team field. If they finish with a 10-2 record, including wins against No. 20 Iowa and No. 9 Oregon, they would be in a very strong position make the playoff for the first time in program history. 

It wouldn't be Riley's first foray into the playoff, though. He led Oklahoma to three consecutive College Football Playoff appearances from 2017-19 after succeeding legendary Sooners coach Bob Stoops, whom he worked under as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. 

Oklahoma didn't return to college football's biggest stage from 2020-21 and, after a disappointing (by Riley's Oklahoma standards, at least) 10-2 campaign in 2021, Riley made the stunning decision to leave Oklahoma for USC. He made the switch just one day after Oklahoma's regular season ended with a loss to in-state rival Oklahoma State while rumors swirled about his candidacy for another vacancy -- LSU. 

Riley won 11 games in his first year with the Trojans with Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Caleb Williams, who followed him from Oklahoma, leading the way. In the two years that followed, USC went a combined 15-11, including a 7-6 overall record with a 4-5 mark in conference play -- the program's first in the Big Ten. Riley's got his team back on track both on the field and off of it, where USC boasts the top-ranked 2026 recruiting class in 247Sports' Team Composite Rankings.