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Lincoln Riley Releases Statement on Mike Bohn's Resignation

Erik-McKinneyby:Erik McKinney05/20/23

ErikTMcKinney

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Lincoln Riley and Mike Bohn (Photo by Hans Gutknecht/MediaNews Group/Los Angeles Daily News via Getty Images)

Former USC Athletic Director Mike Bohn surprised the Trojan family and the college football world on Friday with his abrupt resignation from his position.

The LA Times’ Ryan Kartje reported Friday on a pattern of inappropriate comments and claims of poor leadership of the USC athletic department. USC President Carol L. Folt released a letter to the USC community shortly after news broke. In it, she said she’d accepted Bohn’s resignation but did not name a replacement or an interim athletic director.

One day later, USC head football coach Lincoln Riley made his thoughts known about Bohn’s resignation. Riley posted a statement to Twitter.

“I will always be appreciative of Mike Bohn for his role in bringing us to USC & certainly wish both he and his family all the best,” Riley began. “With the current state of the programs in our Athletic Department, there is a really special opportunity ahead for all of us Trojans. I have full confidence that our university leadership will continue to do everything possible to support us. I truly believe that the best days of USC Athletics are right in front of us and I continue to be totally invested & excited to be a part of it. Lets stick together and always Fight On.”

It’s always an interesting situation when a highly-paid coach is at a university working under an athletic director who did not hire them. But Riley is one of a small handful who likely can name the length of his stay at the school.

The big takeaways are that Riley has confidence in the university leadership. And that he’s “totally invested” in USC athletics. Those comments should stop any sort of panic from any Trojan fans worried about how Riley might take this news.

The next USC Athletic Director will be walking into a very interesting situation. Bohn seems to have hit home runs on his three biggest coaching hires. Riley is one of the nation’s best. Women’s basketball coach Lindsay Gottlieb has turned that program around quickly and just signed the nation’s No. 1 overall recruit. And baseball coach Andy Stankiewicz has done an unbelievable job in a one-year turnaround.

The new AD will also inherit USC’s move to the Big Ten. The major decision of actually making the move is done. But there are likely countless decisions still to be made as that reality creeps closer.

It’s been a year and a half since Bohn nailed one of the most important hires in USC football history. Now, the USC leadership will need to find the same results with Bohn’s replacement.

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