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They're going to get better fast.
Riley is only 38 so this could be a huge win for USC. But, Riley’s results for the last 5 years have been pretty equal to Kelly’s. Could be years of “epic” battles between two good but not great coaches who perennially post 10 win seasons of little consequence.
That might be changing now.
… interim head coaches and morons at USC is now officially over.
Let’s see how he does.
programs.
Castiglione hasn't had an issue hiring an assistant...did it with Stoops and with Riley
And it was over 20 years ago. Riley was coach in waiting. It was already in place for there to be a seamless transition. I suppose Joe C could promote Grinch or some other current assistant (unlikely) but he’s not hiring an outsider first time coach. His basketball coaches have all been experienced, and he’s pretty good at getting his guy. Money won’t be an issue. With a move to the sec coming, it will not be freeman.
Brian and Chip can say good-bye to their "dominance" of USC.
Like Liberace, Joe had a brother George too.
Good move
Oklahoma has no natural talent base outside of Texas
But, of course, we can’t do that, ever.
The institution’ leadership is perpetually too weak-willed, and even when it tries things at the margins the alumni with the highest expectations (namely, here) who talk a big game about not being “lace curtains” immediately whine about arms races and priorities and institutional character.
he wasn't lying, they just didn't ask him about the USC job!
great job. They have lots of in state and surrounding state talent. Alabama will fall back once Saban retires. Alabama has to rely on getting kids from out of state.
That might be scaring some candidates off. Of course, some candidates themselves might be off-limits because they themselves have had issues in the past, like Lincoln Riley and Jumbo Fisher.
at Baylor. I've heard Baylor is offering, but has Aranda signed? He was at LSU prior to taking the Baylor job. And Baylor is still playing. Notice less than 24 hours after OU's season came to a close, Riley to SC is going public.
back the purple face to match the purple uniform.
Oklahoma currently has commitments from 5-star 2022 running back Raleek Brown, plus 5-star 2023 commits QB Malachi Nelson and WR Makai Lemon. Plus 4-star 2023 WR DeAndre Moore. All from Southern California.
#2 overall, QB
#9 overall, WR
#22 overall, WR
#41 overall, WR
#47 overall, TE
#96 overall, RB
in 2023-2025.
provided the hiring party has the will to do so.
ND doesn’t have that will. We’ll be lucky if we don’t hire Rees.
Up until now of course
Not suggesting we turn around and promote Rees, but I'm sure at the time there was some hue and cry when stoops left.
For every Lincoln Riley there is a Bob Davie.
This is a smart move for Riley and, obviously, for USC. It is a lot easier to win the Pac-12 at USC (or should be) than to win the SEC for any school not coached by Nick Saban.
I wonder if OU will see this as the first indication that moving to the SEC might not be the bargain they thought it would be. A Faustian bargain, perhaps? Yes, OU will make more money in the SEC - but at what cost? In the Big 12, in a "normal" year, OU (and Texas if it ever gets its act together) should be frontrunners for the Big 12 title. In the SEC, they might one of the 5 or 6 favorites.
I can already hear OU alumni screaming about this. Will the money matter to OU if they aren't always winning their conference?
Trojans program. If he's the top-5-in-America, statue-deserving coach like many in this fanbase act like he is, shouldn't be a problem for him to go at least .500 against Riley, if not better.
Carroll had SC as the program that everyone wanted to be: tough, fast, and punishing along the fronts while recruiting at an (illegal) elite level. And the most important factor, a dominating defense. Riley is a good coach, he’s not Pete Carroll
He probably won't quite reach that level, you're right. But it also wouldn't shock me if he did.
Someone of staff better call CJ Williams.
Buckle up.
and the 2020 class is hot garbage for USC. They can always tap the sloppy-seconds in the transfer portal to augment their roster, but having 2 terrible classes in 3 years will create challenges in 2023-2025.
at USC that he never did at OU. Bob Stoops left Riley an extremely healthy OU program. He's going to have to completely rebuild USC, including rebuilding the culture, which can be hard in LA. This year's OU team didn't seem to have a great culture to it.
It’s far easier now to patch up a flawed roster, especially when you can instantly recruit top 3 classes as Riley will be able to.
a perennial 8-4 team.
Maybe that is why.
Otherwise it's kind of a lateral move in a lot of ways. (for him)
Everything they got busted for during the Carroll years is now legal under NIL. Warm weather, pretty girls, ton of talent in their backyard, weak PAC12 schedule, huge media market...
At this rate the sec will have 30 teams by the end of the decade. Easy to have cannon fodder to help the perrenial competitors.
He might've liked his chances better against the Pac 12 and ND than against the SEC West.
ETA: There's a rumor he was also offered a similar contract by LSU and turned it down for USC. The reason there would probably be similarly applicable.
It's pretty clear these deals are done months or weeks in advance, and probably have to be given the fact signing day is now in mid-December.
I'm going to assume LSU's coach will be named in the next day or two.
Riley's hire is the first lateral big-school move since...?
a recruit or two.
Riley’s offense with Southern California talent. Yikes.
Have to think CJ Williams may not be ours anymore either.
In all honesty, this is a good thing. We should want USC to be a perennial top ten team.
There hasn't been a really exciting ND-USC matchup in 16 years. Feels like (despite mostly OSU domination until yesterday...) OSU-Michigan is a great, important matchup every year. I'd love for ND-USC to reach that level.
Beating a great USC team can be used for recruiting, CFP resume and preparation, etc.
Tell them climate change is allowing them to play in South Bend in Nov. Stop being wusses. Also stop ending with Stanford. Move them to Sept. or Oct. In fact, I would replace them on the schedule with MSU, Iowa, Minnesota or an SEC team, or even a different PAC12 team.
weekend game.
then head out to South Bend in November every second year.