Lincoln Riley gives bold statement on USC future, turnaround

Lincoln Riley left Oklahoma for the new challenge of turning around the USC Trojans. Many before him have tried and failed, but Riley believes he can get the job done — and get it done quicker than you might imagine.

Earlier this week on Breaking the Huddle with Joel Klatt, Riley was asked how soon he believes he can make USC a perennial player in the Pac 12.

“I think it can happen quickly. That’s my confidence in this place, and the staff that we’re bringing in,” stated Riley. “A lot of these recruits and potential players are going to see what me and my family saw. They’re going to see the potential.

“Everybody knows the logo, everyone knows the history. But they’re going to see the current investment. They’re going to see that USC is going all in on this football program. And I think when they see that, then they start to see the vision of what this can be — I think we’re going to have a lot of people that want to come play ball here. This staff has a track record of success, being able to compete consistently at a high level .. it’s going to be a great combination. I can’t wait to get started.”

USC brought Lincoln Riley in to change the culture. Evidently, Riley hit the ground running — he has no reservations about the timeline of turning the Trojans around. He believes he’s the guy to do it, and do it in the immediate future.

Lincoln Riley reveals what drew him to USC from Oklahoma

Furthermore, Lincoln Riley elaborated on what swayed him to leave Oklahoma and join the Trojans. Among other things, Riley said his decision was influenced by the stature and history of USC.

“(The history) was a huge part,” Riley said to Joel Klatt on FOX Sports’ Breaking the Huddle. “Because it’s been done here (at USC), and it can be done here. I think when you start to think about the possibilities, it’s potential versus current investment. And if you have the big possibilities, the big potential, which USC clearly has — you can argue maybe more so than any other program in the country — that’s great. But if that’s all that you’re relying on, then you’re probably going to get some results that you’ve had there over the last several years.”

Lincoln Riley was a fantastic success with the Oklahoma Sooners. He’ll look to recapture the magic as the USC Trojans leader.