The walls seem to close in on Lincoln Riley as the debate about whether he’s been a success continues to rage on. With all the controversial opinions about him taking center stage, Riley’s future with the Trojans could be in jeopardy if he cannot make the mark this season. With the biggest weapon in his arsenal, Caleb Williams, gone, Riley has more weight on his shoulders than ever before amid all the doubts surrounding him.

Lincoln Riley, the head coach for the USC Trojans, has been with the team for the past two seasons and will begin his third this year. In 2022, Lewis had his breakout season by taking the team to a Cotton Bowl game with an 11-3 record. Additionally, Caleb Williams won the Heisman Trophy in 2022 and was a finalist in 2023. Riley crashed out in the 2023 season with only eight wins against five losses, but the QB, Williams, showed exceptional performance yet again. As such, the question stands: Does Riley’s success only count through Williams’ accolades, or is he a poor coach? Per ESPN’s Steve Kim, it might just be the latter.

Steve Kim quashes Chris Russo’s defense of Lincoln Riley

Paul Finebaum and Chris Russo debated whether Riley had been a good fit for the Trojans. While Finebaum stuck to his opinion of Riley being a “terrible” coach, Russo defended him and claimed that he brought a Heisman Trophy to USC, which fans have always appreciated.

On the July 20 episode of the Coach JB Show with Big Smitty, Steve Kim came to the show and picked Finebaum’s side about hiring Lincoln Riley. He used the phrase “buyer’s regret” to define the feelings of USC fans and said, “USC has to have some buyers’ regret because look, they thought that they’re getting a playoff level coach, which he’s been to the playoffs but right now, ask any USC fan, would you rather have the guy you have now or the guy in Eugene, Oregon, building a monster in Dan Lanning who’s dominating the West Coast recruiting scene and branching out nationally and the one thing about Lincoln Riley that I think has really been disappointing.”

Kim’s point might be valid since it’s evident that the USC Trojans forked out big bucks to bring him to Los Angeles, and so far, they haven’t really gotten their money’s worth.

Taking a glance at Lincoln Riley’s contract with the Trojans

The Trojans were a struggling program before Riley’s hiring in November 2021. They haven’t touched the stars under Riley, but he came in for a hefty amount, against which he hasn’t proven his worth. Per The Times, USC gave out over $19.7 million in reportable compensation to Riley between July 1, 2022, and June 30, 2023.

Of that total of $20 million, Riley received over $10.42 million in base pay and benefits for the 2022 season. There have not been a lot of coaches with such high pay except three other coaches: Nick Saban, Kirby Smart, and Dabo Swinney. Since then, Ohio’s Ryan Day, Texas’ Steve Sarkisian, and Kalen DeBoer have all shattered the $10 million glass ceiling. Has the rollercoaster ride with Lincoln Riley been worth the $10 million he’s received? Riley’s potential exit will drastically depend on how the team performs this season and whether they can make it to a playoff spot.