Lincoln Riley is now known as the head coach who has coached 3 Heisman-winning QBs and has led Oklahoma to a 55-10 record, the highest winning percentage in the program’s history. But the ‘QB whisperer’ who now trembles defenses with his air raid offense blended into spread formations was once a player termed “awful” by Dana Holgorsen. And after his career-ending injury at just 19, his journey seemed to stall. But that’s when a legend took Riley under his wing.

“As a player, he asked questions all the time. He probably wasn’t a good enough player to ask all those questions, but it never bothered anybody because he was so eager,” said Sonny Dykes, the now TCU head coach, about Riley. Dykes was the wide receivers coach at Texas Tech from 2000-2006, where Riley played under none other than Mike Leach, and there, Riley impressed the legend.

So, at Texas Tech, Mike Leach took Lincoln Riley under his wing, and Riley learned the craft that he showcases today. “Coach – You will certainly be missed, but your impact on so many will live on. – Thankful for every moment. You changed my life,” said an emotional Riley after Leach’s passing in 2022. The sheer impact on Riley’s career and several other coaches by Mike Leach was the reason why Riley advocated fiercely for Leach to be inducted into the CFB Hall of Fame. And eventually, the NFF (National Football Foundation) bowed down to Lincoln Riley and other coaches’ demands.

Mike Leach was inducted into the CFB Hall of Fame, even though he was initially ineligible by a margin, having a 0.595 win percentage instead of 0.60. So, CFB brought down the eligibility criteria for Leach a notch and gave Leach his deserved place in the Hall of Fame. Now, Lincoln Riley reflects that decision fondly, along with advocacy to induct another legend in the CFB Hall of Fame.

“It was awesome to see everybody follow through on it, the media, everybody just to really take a candid look at it and say, ‘Look, you know, this guy’s impact is bigger than any requirement we’re talking about’. And, it meant a lot to so many people. And so, yeah, to see everybody kind of get behind it was really cool, and I’m hoping that the same would happen for Coach Carroll,” said Lincoln Riley on a 25th July video posted by ‘USC Athletics’. As for head coach Pete Carroll’s induction? The demand from the CFB coaches is intensifying.

Pete Carroll has been a legendary head coach for the USC Trojans, having led them to a stellar 97-19 record. But the most notable part was the dominance he brought, with winning two consecutive national championships from 2003-2004 and producing one of the best players ever, Reggie Bush. That said, the problem with Carroll’s induction is that he coached for 9 seasons as head coach at USC and departed to the Seahawks in the NFL, which is coming short of the NFF requirement of coaching at least 10 seasons. As for Lincoln Riley, he has his legacy to craft at USC.

Lincoln Riley faces a race against time to leave a lasting legacy at USC

Keeping aside the advocacy for Pete Caroll in the CFB Hall of Fame, Lincoln Riley himself is under pressure to create his legacy at USC. In three seasons, he has been the head coach, and Riley has garnered a 26-14 record. Moreover, last season was quite disappointing as USC finished with just 7 wins in their first year in the Big 10. Now, moving into the second year, the expectations are mounting and the pressure is sky high.

“I actually feel worse about this one than maybe anything else on this list just because… when you look at the way these Lincoln Riley teams have been put together. We know the talent offensively is there. Bringing in D’Anton Lynn—you know, we saw what they did early in the year against LSU with a big win—but it kind of faded,” said Jake Butt, the former Michigan tight end, on Crain and Company. The verdict was harsh; it’s undeniable that USC is going to face a season full of severe scrutiny.

The QB position won’t necessarily be a problem for Lincoln Riley, as that’s the head coach’s expertise. However, the major test would be a brutal schedule. In the upcoming season, USC will have to withstand teams like Illinois, Michigan, Notre Dame, Nebraska, Oregon, and probably UCLA, too.