Traces of Mike Leach remain in how coach Lincoln Riley approaches USC duties

Calling it traces would be an understatement. From his time at Texas Tech, coach Lincoln Riley is still a pupil of the since-passed coach Mike Leach, even at USC.

An innovator and independent mind who shaped college football, coach Leach recognized the potential early on in a former quarterback while at Texas Tech. While it may not have been known at the time, certainly not the extent, the coaching reps then would go on to serve as the foundation for someone to be the head of the Oklahoma and USC football programs.

The former Washington State and Mississippi State HC delegated tasks and responsibilities, particularly those that he personally did not enjoy. After all, he enjoyed being able to focus on the aspects that had to do more strictly with coaching.

Even so, when abdicating certain duties, coach Leach still maintained the program's vision throughout all processes in the building. That was at one point part of the training for then-assistant Riley. Understanding how each step in the program would ultimately be reflected on the field was a critical component of the promising early career.

Now, moving forward to 2025, it appears that coach Riley has the epitome of what his mentor was always pushing for. From people like GM Chad Bowden keeping a firmer eye on the recruiting side of things and the passionate position coaches, USC has, from top to bottom, one of, if not the best, staffs in the nation.

True uniformity and alignment can be difficult to obtain and are, in truth, a continuous process. From what can be seen from the outside looking in and while observing the actions of those within their Trojan roles, everything appears to be coming together.

One aspect also remains from coach Leach that carries over to this day. Coach Riley is still the playcaller while also serving as the head coach. It is something that his mentor insisted on while admitting how challenging handling both responsibilities can be, as well as being a topic of discussion among the USC faithful.

Important time for USC heading into 2025 season

Certainly the air raid imprint and creativity manifest themselves each time the Trojans take the field. In the event of USC improving and building on last season's record, coach Riley, like his former teacher, will need to outwit and outmaneuver opposing defenses on the playing field.

How the chips fall and if coach Riley can potentially outperform the beloved football icon, that remains to be seen.