USC AD says no one wants to succeed more than Lincoln Riley

The metaphor is almost too obvious, the iron and brick facade of a half -finished football palace of $ 200 million on Howard Jones Field. A choir of construction equipment crosses the chaos of a pre-season football practice, the whole scene a reminder that the USC, in the 4th year of the Lincoln Riley era, is built towards something.

Where the USC football program is in this construction process is a little more complicated to capture. After winning 11 games in the first season of Riley as a USC coach, the Trojans’ total victory decreased in each of the two seasons since. Riley, through 40 games at the USC, now has one less victory (26) than his predecessor, Clay Helton (27), at the same time during their terms.

But in recent months, a wave of momentum has been built at the USC. During the offseason, the Trojan horses kept the high -level defensive coordinator of Anton Lynn, despite serious advances in his Alma Mater, Penn State. They added a rising star in the director general Chad Bowden, who was a blow of adrenaline to the entire program. They reached the summit of the recruitment ranking for the 2026 class and finally began to rhythm in the zero space, where they once lagged behind the other programs of their stature.

It seems that the only pressing questions for the USC are on the ground. Even if the enthusiasm accumulates for 2026, when the football installation will open and the recruitment class of the best land, the coming season is critical for Riley. A consecutive third disappointing third campaign would require the USC to face uncomfortable truths, some of which cannot afford to confront.

“I feel good in the progress made,” said USC sports director Jennifer Cohen, in Times. “And now we are now in a position where our expectations are high. We all know what they are and that is to be won.”

The Times met in Cohen before the opening of the Trojans season against the state of Missouri to discuss this progress and the expectations that accompany it, for Riley and the program.

The following conversation has been modified for duration and clarity.

So would you say that the football program is right now?

“We noticed a huge amount of momentum, in particular this offseason, with a combination of movements and investments in the side of the retention of the coaches that we already had who did an excellent job in our program and our culture. Just the quality of coaches overall is at a top of all time in my opinion. So, it is a big piece that is helped in the momentum.

“The second is the development of the front office and just the hiring of [general manager] Chad [Bowden]. Chad being able to restructure his team and restructure the operation of all our coaches, how he supports Lincoln, how he supports assistant coaches – he is more than someone who develops a list. He is really a culture guy, and he was an excellent partner for Lincoln and the football staff, but he was really an excellent partner for all of us, and he has done a lot of bridging of relationships, both internally and externally. And at the top of all this, obviously, we have seen the specific momentum of their skills set from a recruitment point of view which materializes in this class ’26.

“So that’s huge progress and has really moved us in a direction that we really needed to go in. The facility investment has obiously been exciting. Watching Bloom Grow that Quickly and the Fact these guys Know now that real and they are gonna be in this time Year, i think that’ll help us from a standpoint retention. Made, and now we are in a position where our expectations are high.

The director general of football of the USC, Chad Bowden, on the left, speaks with coach Lincoln Riley during a team session.

(USC Athletics)

We are entering the 4th year with Lincoln Riley. During each of these seasons since he has been here, his victory record decreased. What is your level of confidence with him as a coach that we start the season?

“We are both aligned with the expectations we have, and that’s to win. And Lincoln knows it. I know it. You know it. Our fans – everyone knows. I would just say that we really adopt these expectations together. I feel really good with the support and infrastructure and the resources which it has been provided. I don’t know Lincoln. Ly behind him and the guys and the staff and see these results. »»

What type of tangible results should you see Lincoln and the program to maintain this confidence?

“The Whole Idea here, right, is that we goig to win. Our goal and our standard here is that we were championships. That’s What We’re Working Towards, and that’s what we invest in, and that’s What’s my expectation is, our collective. A Trojan Family.