It's safe to say the relationship between USC and head football coach Lincoln Riley is strained. After 40 games at the helm, his 26-14 record (.650 win percentage) and no College Football Playoff appearances is more than disappointing.
With how little patience schools seem to be having with their expensive head coaching hires, Riley is one whose seat may be heating up more than is outwardly evident.
Reports have been mixed over his fate after this season, especially with the Trojans sitting at 6-2 with slim chances to make this year's College Football Playoff. But a cryptic comment from college football podcaster Josh Pate has fans keeping closer tabs on Riley's situation in Los Angeles.
Josh Pate just dropped a BOMB in this week’s episode about a head coaching job
— Will Compton (@_willcompton) November 6, 2025
📺 https://t.co/w9501kM5mB pic.twitter.com/V9hh2NjQpl
"Let's just keep an eye on Lincoln Riley at USC," Pate said to close out an episode of The Locker Room podcast released Thursday. He was asked if he had any grasp on potential head coaching openings — particularly in the NFL.
Lincoln Riley's time at USC may be running out but he's not NFL coaching material
It's unclear how much Pate actually knows about Riley's situation at Southern California, let alone which NFL teams could be keeping an eye on the 42-year-old.
It's not clear what NFL head coaching jobs may be opening at the end of this season besides the Tennessee Titans, who fired Brian Callahan in October. The Miami Dolphins and New York Giants seem likely to move on from their current regimes, but the New Orleans Saints and New York Jets are still very early on in their rebuilds under new management.
Riley got the USC job for his work with quarterbacks Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray and at Oklahoma, but since then, he hasn't really proven he was the mastermind behind those successful Red Raider teams. His star pupil at USC, QB Caleb Williams, was selected first overall by the Chicago Bears in 2024, but that's about all he's got to his resume right now. That's not enough to garner a phone call from an NFL team.
USC fans want Lincoln Riley gone but where would he go?
It's hard to believe Riley would land an NFL head coaching job right now, but perhaps there's a coordinator position for him just like former Texas Tech head coach Kliff Kingsbury ended up with the Washington Commanders after a failed stint leading the Arizona Cardinals.
Perhaps he could reunite with one of his former Oklahoma pupils, or even Williams in Chicago. For now, Mayfield is thriving in Tampa Bay's offense but perhaps Hurts in Philadelphia and Murray (if he remains in Arizona) could use some advice from their old coach.
If there's genuine interest in bringing Riley over from the college world (and that's a big if), it may be the best way for USC fans to be relieved of their frustration. They get a fresh shot at a big name like Clark Lea, while Riley can claim he's moving on up in the world with no hard feelings on either side.
So, like Pate said — let's keep an eye on Riley and the Trojans.