College Football Fans in Disbelief of Lincoln Riley-UCF Job News
USC didn't have the inaugural season in the Big Ten that they hoped for in head coach Lincoln Riley's third season with the team. The Trojans went 6-6 overall and 4-5 in conference play, good enough to finish tied with Washington and Rutgers for ninth in the Big Ten.
Riley is 25-14 with USC, his best season with the Trojans coming in 2022 when the team went 11-3 in the same year quarterback Caleb Williams won the Heisman Trophy.
Because Riley's buyout is nearly $90 million after 2024, it was thought to be unlikely that USC would fire the 41-year-old head coach. However, there was speculation by ESPN's Pete Thamel in October that Riley could look for a fresh start with another program.
Per a report by The Athletic on Wednesday, UCF is looking into hiring Riley before the 2025 season.
Via The Athletic:
"UCF has inquired about the availability of USC coach Lincoln Riley as it searches for a replacement for Gus Malzahn, three people who have been privy to those conversations told The Athletic on Wednesday. There has been no indication Riley is interested in making the move, the people said. He is three seasons into a reported 10-year contract that pays him about $10 million per year."
Fans on social media were dumbfounded about the possibility that Riley would leave a $10 million per year job at USC to return to a head coaching job in the Big 12. Riley previously coached at Oklahoma while they were still in the Big 12 before leaving for the Trojans.
USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley watches pregame warmups.
Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images
"Going from USC to UCF is an epic downgrade," wrote a fan.
"I didn’t see that one coming," posted another.
"No way," commented a fan.
"Not something I saw coming today," posted another.
"This would be insane," believes a fan.
"Dude, what," asked another.
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