You always knew how Lincoln Riley operated. He reaped the rewards of the air raid system at Oklahoma, and the fans expected a repeat of it. But that didn’t happen. A 7-6 season record is nothing to boast about, and you guessed it right. He was under the fire for most of the season. The solution was clear: either stick with what had worked prior despite poor outings or adjust and reinvent. And the Trojans’ head coach took the latter route, half-heartedly. So, what’s next?

For starters, many expect him to improve the playcalling at USC. It’s not usual that Riley’s teams struggle to score 30. Then the fans also found some issues with running the ball and the under-use of Woody Marks. The Trojans didn’t do it enough. However, they did surprisingly better in the defense, despite sustaining early injuries. The signs were visible: Riley was willing to adjust. But is he doing it enough? On3’s JD PicKell expected more.

PicKell explained the situation surrounding Riley in his latest video on the On3 channel. For him, great coaches shared one common trait: willingness to adapt. He saw the same from Riley this season. He said, “Now, Lincoln Riley, whether his arm was twisted or whether he did it on his own, has adapted on the defense side of the football. Can you keep adapting? Now what does that look like? I don’t know.”

The podcast host also detailed what he had heard from the folks associated with the Trojans. That Riley wants his way. PicKell continued, “I hear from folks close to USC is, ‘Hey, Lincoln Riley, good human being. Good coach. Wants to do it his way’. And if you want to do it your way, I have no issue against that. But understand, now you’re limiting the input around you that could have some success here for your football team going forward.”

Where does closing ears to advice lead? Nick Saban had hired Steve Sarkisian. Ryan Day passed off playcalling. Then you have Marcus Freeman, whose coaching style screams one thing—adaptability. So what’s the end? PicKell summed up, “I’m just telling you again the sentiment that Lincoln Riley does not want to surrender, you know, more control. If that’s the case, that’s going to hamstring USC.”

Maybe the Trojans could end up putting Riley under the axe. What is the cost of doing it? The 41-year-old’s 90 million buyout. But if you are a USC fan, nothing is lost now. Changes are underway.

Lincoln Riley: Bringing the NFL experience to the staffroom

Maybe USC has found a penchant for staff changes. It was only last month that we saw OL coach Josh Henson leave the program. Where did he go? To Purdue. But it seems the Trojans have bolstered their defensive line by hiring two-time Super Bowl champion Rob Ryan. It came after they had announced a contract extension with D’Anton Lynn this past Thursday.

The 62-year-old is coming to USC after spending the last three seasons at the Las Vegas Raiders. You must have seen Ryan on the sidelines and with various teams in the last two decades: the Oakland Raiders, Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys, and New Orleans Saints. What’s more? You can always talk about his stint with the New England Patriots, where his work as a linebackers coach helped them clinic Super Bowl 36 and 38. You can expect him to do wonders with the Trojans, too. But it remains to be seen whether these backroom changes help turn the fortunes for Riley.