Lincoln Riley Exit Rumors: USC HC reveals stance on his future in California with Trojans amid unstable coaching carousel

Lincoln Riley's USC continued its strong run by beating Northwestern 38-17 on Friday night at LA Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles. The win kept the No. 20 Trojans in the hunt for the College Football Playoff.

However, after the game, Riley was asked about the rumors about him potentially leaving USC amid an unstable coaching carousel this year. The USC coach was quick to dismiss the rumors.

“You guys know what I sacrificed to be here,” Riley said. “I’m where I need to be.”

The rumors began when analyst Josh Pate sparked speculation about Riley’s future at USC while on the "Bussin’ With The Boys" podcast. Although Pate didn’t get into the details about Riley's potential exit, but left it open to interpretation.

“Can we end on this,” Pate said, while acting to pull a pin off a grenade and leaving. “Let’s just keep an eye on Lincoln Riley at USC.”

Nonetheless, Riley appears to have confirmed that he has no plans of leaving the Trojans, a team he has been with since November 2021, anytime soon.

Lincoln Riley's USC will face Iowa in Week 12 of the 2025 college football season

USC Trojans HC Lincoln Riley - Source: Getty

Lincoln Riley's USC (7-2, 5-1 Big Ten) will face the Iowa Hawkeyes (6-2, 4-1 Big Ten) in Week 12 of the 2025 season on Nov. 15. The game will kick off at 3:30 p.m. ET from LA Memorial Coliseum.

The Hawkeyes are on a three-game win streak. They will face the No. 6 Oregon Ducks (7-1, 4-1 Big 10) in their Week 11 game later on Saturday.

The Trojans will need to win their three remaining regular season games to give themseleves the best chance of making the College Football Playoff.