There will be no shortage of great candidates in the pool. Doug said it would likely be December before a hire is made. I assume both of our coordinators will apply. There will be other names that will surface in the media in coming days. I have confidence that Doug is looking for a long term hire. He has to work in confidence because some candidates don't want it known that they're looking into the job. While speculation is ok, we have to let the process play out.

“USC has everything but a REAL leader as head coach.”

Petros on USC’s loss to Wisconsin & Lincoln Riley’s lack of leadership. pic.twitter.com/RAKV37ZAC8

— AM 570 LA Sports (@AM570LASports) October 26, 2026

Yeah, no thanks.

Riley has underachieved as head coach of a blue blood program with an almost endless supply of resources. Exactly the kind of guy you *don't* want to hire.

If you are looking at P4 castoffs, Shane Beamer - if South Carolina fires him - would be a better choice. He is at a program that has historically had a low ceiling in the SEC, somewhere that even Lou Holtz and Steve Spurrier couldn't get it done.

If Lincoln Riley is ultimately the hire, it will be interesting to see if he brings fat Pat with him as his DC…….

Riley would be accepted here like Freeze was at Auburn. We would have sold our soul and will offer lukewarm support until he gets fired.

TeamPlayer said:

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Riley would be accepted here like Freeze was at Auburn. We would have sold our soul and will offer lukewarm support until he gets fired.

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I would be pissed. Beyond believing he's an overrated coach who wouldn't translate well to a non-blue blood environment, I just don't like the guy.

A Riley hire would certainly impact my enthusiasm as a Baylor football fan. And he's one of the only candidates this cycle who would do so. Kittley might as well because I hate his pop gun offense, but I could get behind most everyone else -- even Kinne, who I'm not super high on.

Realitybites said:

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Riley has underachieved as head coach of a blue blood program with an almost endless supply of resources. Exactly the kind of guy you *don't* want to hire.

If you are looking at P4 castoffs, Shane Beamer - if South Carolina fires him - would be a better choice. He is at a program that has historically had a low ceiling in the SEC, somewhere that even Lou Holtz and Steve Spurrier couldn't get it done.

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Beamer has had average results with great recruiting. He also comes off as unhinged in his press conferences.

if Riley is having issues with one of the best NILs in college why would he have success at Baylor with half that budget and being the 4-7 best choice for recruits in state? Fools gold

OffshoreBear said:

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bear2be2 said:

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OffshoreBear said:

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Lincoln has a 76% winning percentage % and developed 3 Heisman winners. Of course he should be on the list as a top 3-4 candidate.

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At blue blood programs, from which he ultimately fled (the SEC was too tough at OU) or will be fired (he's been trash at USC).

Lincoln Riley is soft as hell, and his team's reflect it.

Do not want. At all.

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I think calling Riley's time at USC a failure is a little ridiculous when you actually look at the numbers.

He inherited a 4-8 team and went 11-3 his first year. He's 41-20 overall at USC, went 9-4 last year with a 7-2 Big Ten record, and is 6-2 this season.

In 2025, USC ranked 5th nationally in passing offense and 8th in total offense, averaging 35.8 points per game. He also brought in the No. 1 recruiting class in the country for 2026.

Has he met USC's expectations of competing for national championships? No. Are his defenses a concern? Absolutely.

But there's a huge difference between not meeting USC's national championship expectations and being a bad football coach.

We're talking about a coach who knows how to recruit elite talent, develop quarterbacks, and produce some of the best offenses in college football. I certainly wouldn't dismiss him as a candidate for Baylor.

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He was a great coach. In the XII. But that hasn't translated well outside of the XII.

We could very well be looking at a 7-5, maybe 6-6 season this year. He just seems to be in over his head outside of the XII.

But yeah, I wouldn't dismiss him at BU at all. He looked like a guru in the XII. He can beat teams in the XII. And landing this guy would be HUGE for BU. Regardless of how he has done outside of the XII.

But is a 7-5, or 6-6 season a sign of a good coach when you have the best recruited team in the land, and the (supposed) gurus of offense and defense at the helm. I'm just saying.

Sometimes not meeting CFP expectations can indeed go hand in hand with poor coaching. Especially if that coach is in conferences he doesn't get. Or can't as easily win against.

He hasn't made a CFP yet with USC. Hell, ucla is going to get there before we do. ucla!

His offenses may have worked against teams in the XII. So yes, BU shouldn't write him off completely. It would probably fit him better. He looked to be a great coach playing the XII. Not so much elsewhere. Which is why he is now being questioned.

He hasn't even won a conference title yet at USC. 11-3, 8-5, 7-6, 9-4 at SC. Again, with a possible 6-6 this year if he can't beat Maryland. And I won't be the least bit surprised if even that happens. He has lost to Maryland in recent years. And he almost gave one away to Rutgers this year for God's sake.

Even with the accolades given to CLR here, USC expects more when it comes to football. And that's not said out of entitlement or arrogance. It's just a fact. 8-5, 7-6, 9-4 and a possible 6-6 this year is not enough. Especially when the guy who is getting those numbers for you is making over ten million dollars a year and is shacked up in a mansion overlooking the blue Pacific.

BU fans should get it. It's the good seasons BU has had in recent times that have had BU fans chomping at the bit to get rid of Dave Aranda. BU fans want more of that, and DA wasn't getting the job done.

USC wants more of that too, and CLR isn't moving the program in the right direction here. It has actually regressed. Or at least, the trajectory has been very shaky at best. Regardless of the things mentioned above.

8-5, 9-4 are not going to be enough going forward. Especially when the crosstown rival, the basketball school, is strutting into the CFP, while USC is saying, well, we have the best recruited class. And we have a great cultivator of QBs. Blah, blah, blah.

So what. What good does all of that do when this highly recruited team is about to go 7-5 at best, 6-6 at worst.

I appreciate the attempts at looking at the positive, but that's like California saying, 'Well, hey! We're the 4th largest economy in the world.'

LOL. So what. Who exactly is that economy working for? If it was actually working, people wouldn't be leaving. Businesses wouldn't be leaving. For places like Texas. Or Georgia. Of all places.

All those CLR accolades are nice attempts at complimenting him, but it doesn't change the fact that SC hasn't been to the CFP yet. And that is due in very large part, if not entirely, to coaching.

Now, that coaching staff very likely would do great things for BU. In the XII. But it ain't working elsewhere.

I would just say, if BU does land CLR, watch out for Utah every year. They've got his number.

TrojanMoondoggie said:

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OffshoreBear said:

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bear2be2 said:

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OffshoreBear said:

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Lincoln has a 76% winning percentage % and developed 3 Heisman winners. Of course he should be on the list as a top 3-4 candidate.

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At blue blood programs, from which he ultimately fled (the SEC was too tough at OU) or will be fired (he's been trash at USC).

Lincoln Riley is soft as hell, and his team's reflect it.

Do not want. At all.

---

I think calling Riley's time at USC a failure is a little ridiculous when you actually look at the numbers.

He inherited a 4-8 team and went 11-3 his first year. He's 41-20 overall at USC, went 9-4 last year with a 7-2 Big Ten record, and is 6-2 this season.

In 2025, USC ranked 5th nationally in passing offense and 8th in total offense, averaging 35.8 points per game. He also brought in the No. 1 recruiting class in the country for 2026.

Has he met USC's expectations of competing for national championships? No. Are his defenses a concern? Absolutely.

But there's a huge difference between not meeting USC's national championship expectations and being a bad football coach.

We're talking about a coach who knows how to recruit elite talent, develop quarterbacks, and produce some of the best offenses in college football. I certainly wouldn't dismiss him as a candidate for Baylor.

---

He was a great coach. In the XII. But that hasn't translated well outside of the XII.

We could very well be looking at a 7-5, maybe 6-6 season this year. He just seems to be in over his head outside of the XII.

But yeah, I wouldn't dismiss him at BU at all. He looked like a guru in the XII. He can beat teams in the XII. And landing this guy would be HUGE for BU. Regardless of how he has done outside of the XII.

But is a 7-5, or 6-6 season a sign of a good coach when you have the best recruited team in the land, and the (supposed) gurus of offense and defense at the helm. I'm just saying.

Sometimes not meeting CFP expectations can indeed go hand in hand with poor coaching. Especially if that coach is in conferences he doesn't get. Or can't as easily win against.

He hasn't made a CFP yet with USC. Hell, ucla is going to get there before we do. ucla!

His offenses may have worked against teams in the XII. So yes, BU shouldn't write him off completely. It would probably fit him better. He looked to be a great coach playing the XII. Not so much elsewhere. Which is why he is now being questioned.

He hasn't even won a conference title yet at USC. 11-3, 8-5, 7-6, 9-4 at SC. Again, with a possible 6-6 this year if he can't beat Maryland. And I won't be the least bit surprised if even that happens. He has lost to Maryland in recent years. And he almost gave one away to Rutgers this year for God's sake.

Even with the accolades given to CLR here, USC expects more when it comes to football. And that's not said out of entitlement or arrogance. It's just a fact. 8-5, 7-6, 9-4 and a possible 6-6 this year is not enough. Especially when the guy who is getting those numbers for you is making over ten million dollars a year and is shacked up in a mansion overlooking the blue Pacific.

BU fans should get it. It's the good seasons BU has had in recent times that have had BU fans chomping at the bit to get rid of Dave Aranda. BU fans want more of that, and DA wasn't getting the job done.

USC wants more of that too, and CLR isn't moving the program in the right direction here. It has actually regressed. Or at least, the trajectory has been very shaky at best. Regardless of the things mentioned above.

8-5, 9-4 are not going to be enough going forward. Especially when the crosstown rival, the basketball school, is strutting into the CFP, while USC is saying, well, we have the best recruited class. And we have a great cultivator of QBs. Blah, blah, blah.

So what. What good does all of that do when this highly recruited team is about to go 7-5 at best, 6-6 at worst.

I appreciate the attempts at looking at the positive, but that's like California saying, 'Well, hey! We're the 4th largest economy in the world.'

LOL. So what. Who exactly is that economy working for? If it was actually working, people wouldn't be leaving. Businesses wouldn't be leaving. For places like Texas. Or Georgia. Of all places.

All those CLR accolades are nice attempts at complimenting him, but it doesn't change the fact that SC hasn't been to the CFP yet. And that is due in very large part, if not entirely, to coaching.

Now, that coaching staff very likely would do great things for BU. In the XII. But it ain't working elsewhere.

I would just say, if BU does land CLR, watch out for Utah every year. They've got his number.

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It wasn't the Big 12. It was Oklahoma, which is such a good job that even a goober like Vanables can reach the playoff out of the SEC.

Riley inherited a dominant program from Bob Stoops and elevated it slightly, but still never won a playoff game.

Then he ran from competition when OU went to the SEC and has been exposed for what he really is at USC.

The idea that he would somehow do better at Baylor, with literally half the NIL budget he currently has, is just absurd to me. He'd be Kliff Kingsbury 2.0 at any non-traditional power in the modern Big 12.

Bringing in Lincoln Riley would be terrible. He doesn't care about Baylor but he might need a place to land and look for his next job while collecting millions. He's a Matt Rhule type guy always ready to leave

bear2be2 said:

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TrojanMoondoggie said:

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OffshoreBear said:

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bear2be2 said:

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OffshoreBear said:

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Lincoln has a 76% winning percentage % and developed 3 Heisman winners. Of course he should be on the list as a top 3-4 candidate.

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At blue blood programs, from which he ultimately fled (the SEC was too tough at OU) or will be fired (he's been trash at USC).

Lincoln Riley is soft as hell, and his team's reflect it.

Do not want. At all.

---

I think calling Riley's time at USC a failure is a little ridiculous when you actually look at the numbers.

He inherited a 4-8 team and went 11-3 his first year. He's 41-20 overall at USC, went 9-4 last year with a 7-2 Big Ten record, and is 6-2 this season.

In 2025, USC ranked 5th nationally in passing offense and 8th in total offense, averaging 35.8 points per game. He also brought in the No. 1 recruiting class in the country for 2026.

Has he met USC's expectations of competing for national championships? No. Are his defenses a concern? Absolutely.

But there's a huge difference between not meeting USC's national championship expectations and being a bad football coach.

We're talking about a coach who knows how to recruit elite talent, develop quarterbacks, and produce some of the best offenses in college football. I certainly wouldn't dismiss him as a candidate for Baylor.

---

He was a great coach. In the XII. But that hasn't translated well outside of the XII.

We could very well be looking at a 7-5, maybe 6-6 season this year. He just seems to be in over his head outside of the XII.

But yeah, I wouldn't dismiss him at BU at all. He looked like a guru in the XII. He can beat teams in the XII. And landing this guy would be HUGE for BU. Regardless of how he has done outside of the XII.

But is a 7-5, or 6-6 season a sign of a good coach when you have the best recruited team in the land, and the (supposed) gurus of offense and defense at the helm. I'm just saying.

Sometimes not meeting CFP expectations can indeed go hand in hand with poor coaching. Especially if that coach is in conferences he doesn't get. Or can't as easily win against.

He hasn't made a CFP yet with USC. Hell, ucla is going to get there before we do. ucla!

His offenses may have worked against teams in the XII. So yes, BU shouldn't write him off completely. It would probably fit him better. He looked to be a great coach playing the XII. Not so much elsewhere. Which is why he is now being questioned.

He hasn't even won a conference title yet at USC. 11-3, 8-5, 7-6, 9-4 at SC. Again, with a possible 6-6 this year if he can't beat Maryland. And I won't be the least bit surprised if even that happens. He has lost to Maryland in recent years. And he almost gave one away to Rutgers this year for God's sake.

Even with the accolades given to CLR here, USC expects more when it comes to football. And that's not said out of entitlement or arrogance. It's just a fact. 8-5, 7-6, 9-4 and a possible 6-6 this year is not enough. Especially when the guy who is getting those numbers for you is making over ten million dollars a year and is shacked up in a mansion overlooking the blue Pacific.

BU fans should get it. It's the good seasons BU has had in recent times that have had BU fans chomping at the bit to get rid of Dave Aranda. BU fans want more of that, and DA wasn't getting the job done.

USC wants more of that too, and CLR isn't moving the program in the right direction here. It has actually regressed. Or at least, the trajectory has been very shaky at best. Regardless of the things mentioned above.

8-5, 9-4 are not going to be enough going forward. Especially when the crosstown rival, the basketball school, is strutting into the CFP, while USC is saying, well, we have the best recruited class. And we have a great cultivator of QBs. Blah, blah, blah.

So what. What good does all of that do when this highly recruited team is about to go 7-5 at best, 6-6 at worst.

I appreciate the attempts at looking at the positive, but that's like California saying, 'Well, hey! We're the 4th largest economy in the world.'

LOL. So what. Who exactly is that economy working for? If it was actually working, people wouldn't be leaving. Businesses wouldn't be leaving. For places like Texas. Or Georgia. Of all places.

All those CLR accolades are nice attempts at complimenting him, but it doesn't change the fact that SC hasn't been to the CFP yet. And that is due in very large part, if not entirely, to coaching.

Now, that coaching staff very likely would do great things for BU. In the XII. But it ain't working elsewhere.

I would just say, if BU does land CLR, watch out for Utah every year. They've got his number.

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It wasn't the Big 12. It was Oklahoma, which is such a good job that even a goober like Vanables can reach the playoff out of the SEC.

Riley inherited a dominant program from Bob Stoops and elevated it slightly, but still never won a playoff game.

Then he ran from competition when OU went to the SEC and has been exposed for what he really is at USC.

The idea that he would somehow do better at Baylor, with literally half the NIL budget he currently has, is just absurd to me. He'd be Kliff Kingsbury 2.0 at any non-traditional power in the modern Big 12.

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That's right. I couldn't remember the sequence of events but I do seem to recall some talk of him leaving OU at a fairly opportune time. Just as it was announced they were heading to the SEC.
Probably figured he was going to come into the "weak" PAC and dominate.
The first season he did well.
But once the PAC figured him out, it wasn't the same in ensuing seasons.
And the B1G has been even less hospitable to him.
The ND story was not good either. The optics were bad. And it made him, our AD, or both look really bad.
While the SC fans were saying ***??? Why are you getting rid of ND???
He, she, they (?) clearly didn't "get" USC. And it was clear that we were seeing the side to him that had him leaving OU.
ND has had a field day with it. Not that they have much of a right to talk. For their own reasons.
But the optics certainly fell flat for SC.
I do still wonder if BU wouldn't be a good landing spot for him though. It's not necessarily a "cultural fit" for him as to the school itself. And leaving behind what he has benefitted from, lifestyle-wise, in LaLaLand, would be a change. But I wouldn't be surprised if he did well at BU because he knows the conference landscape and has had more success there. The rest of the teams in the Xii might be thinking, oh crap. Unless or until he proves otherwise.

Well….I guess he can win a big game

People on here religiously glaze Matt Rhule while dogging on Lincoln Riley. The Riley hatred makes very little sense

USC is entitled they may still want to make arrangements with another program for him to go there, which is how I think it would hypothetically work out. I think the his firing would be done in a face saving way for everyone if there was a program that expressed interest him to the other parties.

IowaBear said:

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People on here religiously glaze Matt Rhule while dogging on Lincoln Riley. The Riley hatred makes very little sense

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I don't hate Riley. I just think his time has passed. But at least he can still beat a stacked OSU squad that just lost its qb for the year. Any win against OSU is a good one.

Not referencing you by any means. It's just laughable that posters talk about Riley sucking while glazing up a guy who hasn't beat a good team in what feels like 5-6 years at the college level. Rhules the most overrated coach on this entire board.

IowaBear said:

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Not referencing you by any means. It's just laughable that posters talk about Riley sucking while glazing up a guy who hasn't beat a good team in what feels like 5-6 years at the college level. Rhules the most overrated coach on this entire board.

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Rhule hasn't beaten a ranked team since 2016 when at Temple.

Exactly. I actually like Rhule. I've defended him plenty. But let's be honest here. The guy ****s his pants against any decent team

There was a bizarre ending to Lincoln Riley’s postgame availability where he pulled out some prepared notes. pic.twitter.com/xDA1tz5Cca

— Ben Bolch (@calpostbbolch) November 1, 2026

This is a great example of why I'll never like or respect Lincoln Riley. Dude may be the most insecure little ***** in a profession full of insecure little *****es.

bear2be2 said:

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There was a bizarre ending to Lincoln Riley’s postgame availability where he pulled out some prepared notes. pic.twitter.com/xDA1tz5Cca

— Ben Bolch (@calpostbbolch) November 1, 2026

This is a great example of why I'll never like or respect Lincoln Riley. Dude may be the most insecure little ***** in a profession full of insecure little *****es.

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he wrote that knowing he would get the W. What confidence!

Lincoln likely kept his job today, so it's a non issue, but I heard that Dan Patrick said this week that there was zero chance Riley would consider Baylor, but that he could see him do TV for a year and then come back to the Big 12 if TCU came available in Ft Worth. Had anyone heard this? Is TCU really considered that much of a better job than Baylor?

Riley wouldn't have been horrible. He recruits well and likely would be happy to keep Klanderman. Price tag would be way too high, and he has underperformed at USC.

Quote:

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Is TCU really considered that much of a better job than Baylor?

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Ten years ago? No. Today? Probably.

Riley is staying at USC for now. Florida State has opened so that probably takes one of our potential targets off the table.

OffshoreBear said:

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Lincoln has a 76% winning percentage % and developed 3 Heisman winners. Of course he should be on the list as a top 3-4 candidate.

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I assume that is sarcasm. As in, no way he is coming here.

Not sure who at espn wrote that dumb article, but putting Riley as a candidate for us shows that writer is out of touch with reality.