A new report is increasing speculation that USC coach Lincoln Riley could be on the hot seat.
ESPN college football analyst Josh Pate suggested that Riley could be fired at the end of the season. He was asked in an appearance on “Bussin’ With The Boys” whether there were any potential head coaching jobs to watch that might become available, and Pate offered a cryptic comment about Riley’s future.
“Let’s just keep an eye on Lincoln Riley at USC,” Pate said.
Josh Pate just dropped a BOMB in this week’s episode about a head coaching job
— Will Compton (@_willcompton) November 6, 2025
📺 https://t.co/w9501kM5mB pic.twitter.com/V9hh2NjQpl
On the surface, this is a bit of a surprise. USC is 6-2 and on pace for their finest season under Riley since they went 11-3 in 2022. On the other hand, they have work to do to become a serious College Football Playoff contender, and the Trojans hired him to compete for championships. He is not making roughly $11.5 million to finish outside of the top four in the Big Ten.
There had been speculation about Riley’s job status prior to the start of the season, but the 6-2 start quieted a lot of it. Despite the record, the Trojans do not really have any great wins, and have lost at Illinois and Notre Dame this season in their two toughest games. They still have a trip to Oregon on the schedule as well.
Riley’s buyout figure is not publicly known, but is believed to be at least $60 million, if not higher. Firing him would be an expensive proposition.
