Paul Finebaum has been known to offer bold takes about some prominent head coaches across college football through the years. And on Monday, he predicted that the 2024 season would be the end of Lincoln Riley’s tenure at USC.
Riley has been at USC for the past two seasons, compiling an overall record of 19-8 at the program. Thus far, his tenure has been a far cry from the days of Pete Carroll in Southern California. But on paper, it seems like Riley should be far away from the hot seat.
During an appearance on McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning on Monday, Finebaum shared why he sees Riley as a prime candidate to be fired this coming season.
“If you look at the reality, the number of players bailing on Lincoln Riley in Southern California is startling,” said Finebaum. “I always thought he was a really good coach. Especially on the offensive side. But I don’t think anyone today views him in that same realm. Quite frankly, I think he’ll be out of Southern California at the end of the season.
“It’s a matter of whether he crashes and burns or whether he decides he has got to seek elsewhere. But I don’t think there is any way he is going to be successful out there. I think that train has left the station.”
Our guy @finebaum doesn't think Lincoln Riley's future is as bright as the red and gold of @uscfb, could the Trojans be looking at a coaching vacancy at season's end?
Full interview: https://t.co/esFL9DAmOv pic.twitter.com/hzkGnsnLf5— McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning (@macandcube) July 8, 2024
Finebaum went on to say that if his prediction is correct and Riley does flame out at USC, it would be the “most historic crash-and-burn in modern college football.”
Riley truly was one of the most sought-after coaching candidates in recent memory. So if he does end up losing his job, Finebaum’s assessment of him being a huge “crash-and-burn” would be pretty accurate.
It will be interesting to see if the more important part of Finebaum’s prediction, Riley getting fired, ends up coming true. Riley faces a major challenge, as USC is entering a conference in the Big Ten that is much more difficult on paper than their longtime Pac-12 home.
The coach will also need to figure out life after Caleb Williams, who was the Trojans’ starting quarterback for Riley’s first two years with the program.
About Reice Shipley
Reice Shipley is a staff writer for Comeback Media that graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in Sports Media. He previously worked at Barrett Sports Media and is a fan of all things Syracuse sports.