Now hang on....let's play a game where we have a terrific season, and Drew Mehringer gets a HC job and Oregon has an opening for Offensive Coordinator. Meanwhile Lincoln Riley has to step down as the USC head coach...and he applies?

To me, I've never actually thought he was morally evil, but simply a weak leader for the HC position. Yet like our own Mark Helfrich...he is a terrific OC and QB coach, although Riley has a ton of Heismans and a very, very well coached QB with the Trojans now.

Riley strikes me as the ideal OC, not HC. With the way the Ducks recruit QBs and receivers--it would be a good match. And it would be fun to keep beating the Trojans with one of their former coaches?

Too big a stretch for you?

I was very impressed with the Trojan passing attack, and their QB. I would take him as an OC; would YOU?

No...

Prior to Sat night, YES.

After seeing his "culture" and avantegard attitude for any else, HELL FREAKING NO.

1 minute ago, Steven A said:

After seeing his "culture"...NO.

Again...Riley is weak as a leader, and prone to go along with whatever the players are thinking. But Lanning would easily change that with him, and inspire him to do the right thing--as he would see everyone else operating in that correct "Lanning" way, too.

It is a bye week, and I thought I'd throw a few topics out there to ponder--good to get a reaction!

Linc is not missing as an OC. He's a terrific OC and a QB whisperer. But he gets a D or lower when it comes to defense. Losing D'Anton Lynn to Penn State was a big loss.

He'd be an improvement over almost any other OC in CFB. But after SC pulls the plug (could it happen if UW wins on Saturday?) I think he's off to the NFL.

But Oklahoma needs a new OC, so ... But I doubt he'd agree to report to Brett Venables.

Oklahoma could want him back as a HC, but without the roster advantage he had in the B12, I don't see him taking the Sooners to the top echelon of the SEC.

The Chargers and Justin Herbert could certainly use his services.😧

After the UW game: SC is at Penn State, at Wisconsin, home against Ohio State, at Indiana, home against Maryland, and at UCLA. Four road games for a guy who struggles on the road.

I'll give SC the Maryland game, but Ohio State and the other four games? SC could finish 6-6 or worse.

Recruiting is an issue, but finish 5-7 or worse, how many SC players will enter the portal?

What new coach could keep the talented youngsters in South Central? Will a new coach be able to keep the GM on board and the boosters writing big checks?

Calling the loss to Oregon program-defining is not an exaggeration.

Too bad, right? 🤪

And if Jerry Allen retires, we get a package deal with their play-by-play guy? Lanning could change all of that culture/character I'm sure?

Things Riley claimed to not see after the hit.

The hit.

The player prancing around like a fool in the endzone after the hit.

The player high fiving and still acting like a fool on the side line.

Any video of all three above right after the game during media availability.

Also had zero intent to punish the player at that time. With unaccountable leadership like that, I'd feel better giving the job to a juice box.

As for his offensive philosophy, I think his dispirpotionate preference for passing over running will never work against top level competition which is reflected in his .333 winning percentage against the top 25. Hard pass.

As someone who has watched every minute of his coaching time at USC........No.

It is not often that I have an opinion that has such strong disagreement. Makes me glad we have the rules of not making it personal!

If any of you have a topic to debate and discuss....start a thread! (Because I think you can do better than I)

And....You Might Be Surprised!

Yes. I would take him in a second. His offenses set all kinds of program records at East Carolina and Oklahoma. He has coached 3 Heisman winning QBs. His Oklahoma offense averaged 46 points per game when he was the OC.

As Charles indicated, I believe his main issues are lack of leadership and establishing a winning program culture. We already have that with Dan. If he just had to call plays and coach QBs, I would be onboard with giving it a shot.

Edited 20 hours ago20 hr by GeotechDuck

1 hour ago, fred flintstone said:

As someone who has watched every minute of his coaching time at USC

Definition of a masochist.

We feel for ya.

Oregon has quietly gained a reputation among players as place to go to rehab a downwardly spiraling career into a new and successful one. Bo Nix, Dante Moore and Dylan Raiola are pretty good examples. If players can check-in to the Duck recovery center, why not coaches?

He would make a great OC. But Lanning, I think, absolutely hates him.

It would really depend. No one doubts his offense bone fides. The problem right now is his ego and attitude. If he gets knocked down a couple pegs and allows himself to check those things and work under a no-nonsense guys like DL then it could work. Otherwise it's a pass.

Can we detach the football knowledge from the rest of him? If so yes...

But I don't think he and Dan can work together. I think there is some bad blood there now formed by the rivalry. We don't want Lincoln Riley the person near our program.

But if he can get his football knowledge with him... Sure.

If Oregon hired him, would that appear as an endorsement of how he handled the situation last Saturday? If so, then I would say no and keep the Evil Empire image on USC with or without him there.

$70 million is a lot of bucks. I don't think USC has that kind of scratch? Though, if he went to a college job that kiss on the tarmac might make it easier to pay him as an assistant?

Who replaces him at USC? BYU's Sitake? Keep in mind wishing his demise at USC means potentially somebody more competent replaces him.

Now if you could guarantee his USC replacement would be Jimmy Lake or Keith Gilbertson, I could get comfortable with it. Otherwise let USC enter the drama zone for a couple seasons.

A fun topic because Lincoln Riley is truly a genius at strategy on offense. Me thinks a LOT of people hate Lincoln Riley. All over the football world.

Yes, clearly. He has shown he can recruit and develop QBs. His play-calling has always been very good. We don't like USC, but has he been the most obnoxious head coach we have ever seen? I would put Dee Andros, Rick Neuheisel, Don James, Jim Lambright, Jim Harbaugh, and others far above on that list. Note, though, that I chair the Give Riley A Contract Extension organization.

Hard pass.

End of story.

Buh Bye!!

Riley is the WORST.

Next level Bad.

Been there, done that.

Go away. buh bye

12 hours ago, Charles Fischer said:

Now hang on....let's play a game where we have a terrific season, and Drew Mehringer gets a HC job and Oregon has an opening for Offensive Coordinator. Meanwhile Lincoln Riley has to step down as the USC head coach...and he applies?

To me, I've never actually thought he was morally evil, but simply a weak leader for the HC position. Yet like our own Mark Helfrich...he is a terrific OC and QB coach, although Riley has a ton of Heismans and a very, very well coached QB with the Trojans now.

Riley strikes me as the ideal OC, not HC. With the way the Ducks recruit QBs and receivers--it would be a good match. And it would be fun to keep beating the Trojans with one of their former coaches?

Too big a stretch for you?

I was very impressed with the Trojan passing attack, and their QB. I would take him as an OC; would YOU?

My concern about Riley is his eyesight... Given how he must be going blind as to have totally missed Stephens cheap shot on Dante.

Or, for the old guys like me out there, he's the reincarnation of Sergeant Schultz: "I saw nothing."

Either way, I gotta give that one a thumps down. But, Charles, you definitely had me thinking on that one.

I think the Ducks would be unstoppable with him as OC. He would need to take a page or of Chip Kellys book at OSU and stays in the booth during games. Whit him the chances of a National Championship are greatly increased.

Dan could concentrate on D and get that up to snuff. I'm not sure his Defensive minds can take 2 new guy at coordinator positions and his time would be better spent on the D.

Ohio State and Chip Kelly is a perfect example of how this could work. Don't let him near a camera or the Defense.

Edited 2 hours ago2 hr by Dave23
Spelling

Great ponder point!

I don't know about Lincoln, but long-time college DC Pete Kwiatkowski had success at UW (😧), and in 2025, his defense at Texas finished fourth in the nation in Total Defense. This wasn't good enough for Sark.

Will Muschamp's Texas D is ranked 13th in Total Defense.

(OT - I see a lot of Riley in Sark, including having immature and undisciplined players on the roster. The last coach who called the plays on offense to win a title was FSU's Jimbo Fisher in 2013.)

Former Boise State TE, PK, took a pay cut to coach the D-Line for the Arizona Cardinals.

I don't know what kind of recruiter he is, but Texas brought in a lot of studs on defense when Pete was there.

Update on the heat on Linc's seat -

CFB-HQ On SI

Major Lincoln Riley, Mike Norvell and Shane Beamer Update...

USC coach Lincoln Riley, Florida State coach Mike Norvell and South Carolina coach Shane Beamer all head into Week 5 under heavy pressure, and the next few game

Absolutely not. I can't get past how disingenuous his post game remarks were. I don't care if he's an offensive "genius." His lack of candor was offensive.

We have a good thing going here, he wouldn't add anything to the UofO's athletic culture.

Just my opinion.

(One of my grandads left the UofO to go fight in WW1. Had four broken arms. He came back and got his degree. My only sibling is a UO grad. Two of my three kids are UO grads. Now my granddaughter just started her college career at the UofO.)

Riley would not be the first head coach to exhibit an imbalance between his focus on the X’s & O’s, and governing team conduct and behavior. I’d guess the majority of HC’s would fall in that category (on one side or the other), because the few great ones excel at both.

If Dan can stomach him, being focused on the X’s & O’s is what a coordinator is primarily about. The other way around makes you mostly a good dorm mother.

When Lanning offers players, supposedly he evaluates not only their athletic ability, but their character as well, and how he thinks they will fit the culture he wants to create. I don't think Riley fits very well with my perception of that culture, and I'd bet Lanning wouldn't either.