Recent coaching history at USC looks to change course with coach Lincoln Riley

Looking back at some of the more recent USC coaches, it is quite the sight to assess. Looking at where coach Steve Sarkisian and coach Lane Kiffin are now in their careers illustrates an important point. Sometimes the right person can receive the right job at the wrong time.

For coach Kiffin and coach Sarkisian, the then-young coaches ended up learning from their experience of being a Trojan head coach. For USC fans, however, that will come as little to no consolation.

Years of the program not achieving its full potential have left many frustrated. Now the Trojans are experiencing life with coach Lincoln Riley. The first year in Los Angeles was about as good as anyone could hope for from someone stepping into a program. Since then, the product and results have not been able to match what was produced during that 2022 season.

It is because of the way in which the wins have regressed while looking back at what has been that many are apprehensive about being too optimistic with coach Riley in charge now.

The past can never be erased. To some extent, one will always be what the track record indicates. From that vantage point, the onus is on coach Riley to prove that he has indeed turned a new leaf at USC.

Potential future overview of coach Riley at USC

Projecting forward, Trojan fans may very well end up looking at coach Riley's tenure at USC in two stints.

The first will be seen as a quick, successful burst, followed by a decline. Because of what has been going on throughout the Trojan staff during the early 2025 months, though, there could be something of a line of demarcation from about January of this year onward when looking back at this Trojan era years from now.

As has been witnessed with coach Pete Carroll and successful past HCs before him, there are a lot of ingrained advantages at USC. 2025 is about coach Riley showing that he is indeed the right person to take advantage of everything that comes with being a Trojan.