USC Trojans HC Lincoln Riley: I’ll ‘100%’ be Back in 2026

Lincoln Riley expressed a similar sentiment once, and he has expressed it once again: the head coach is staying at USC.

“Oh yeah, 100%,” Riley said on Tuesday when asked if he’ll be back at USC next season, according to the Los Angeles Times. “Like I said before, I’m right where I’m supposed to be. I think nothing other than what we’re building, literally, and I love being here and, yeah, that’s really the end of it.”

Earlier this month, Riley expressed that he “sacrificed” to leave Oklahoma in 2021 and USC is “where” he needs “to be.” This came in the wake of a rumor that Riley could consider leaving USC for one of the many head-coaching vacancies in the sport; at present, LSU, Penn State, Florida and Auburn are among the high-profile job openings.

Riley’s Trojans are coming off a season-ending loss at the hands of now-No. 6 Oregon, losing on the road to the Ducks last week, 42-27. The loss dropped USC to 8-3 overall and 6-2 in Big Ten play and has it ranked No. 17 in the country.

Riley is in his fourth season as USC’s head coach, with the Trojans a combined 34-17 since 2022. In Year 1 under Riley (2022), USC had an 11-3 season, followed by eight- and seven-win campaigns. The Trojans are in their second year in the Big Ten (they left the Pac-12 after the 2023 season). Oklahoma went a combined 55-10 under Riley from 2017-21, including three appearances in the College Football Playoff and four double-digit winning seasons.

USC ends the 2025 regular season at home against UCLA this coming Saturday.

Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily!