Lincoln Riley rests his hopes on new defensive coordinator
Written by Chris McLean / August 28, 2026
I've been in LA for nearly a decade now, and the USC program has seen devastating lows and tremendous highs in that period. Conference championship game appearance. Heisman trophy winning QB. 4-8 record one year. 11-3 a few years later. Allowing 62 points to cross-town rival UCLA. Only beating Notre Dame once in that stretch.
It's run the gamut.
The only consistency has been head coach Lincoln Riley. During this past decade or so, the Trojans have been one of the better offenses in the nation, posting outstanding performances by pass catchers and quarterbacks alike. But the same could not be said about the other side of the ball.
Riley brought in Alex Grinch to run the defense when he first got to LA. But Grinch was fired in the middle of his second season with the team. He then brought in D'Anton Lynn from Westwood to helm the defense. USC ended up 49th in the country in total defense for 2025.
It was a start.
However, Lynn left for his alma mater (Penn St.) and Riley was left with another opening at DC.
In comes 66 year old Gary Patterson. He was famously the head coach of TCU, during which he oversaw the Horned Frogs beat Wisconsin in the 2011 Rose Bowl as well as a Fiesta Bowl appearance. And eventually they would achieve P4 status by joining the Big 12 conference. The luster wore off later in his tenure as the team slid into mediocrity. He was a special assistant to Steve Sarkisian at Texas in '22, which was followed up by a consultant position with Baylor in '24.
Patterson utilizes a 4-2-5 scheme maximizing the versatility of the nickelbacks lining up against more dynamic offenses. His defenses were well known at TCU to be tough and aggressive. But the question I keep coming back to is is: Patterson hasn't been a defensive coordinator since the turn of the century, what makes Lincoln Riley think that someone waiting on social security checks will be able to scheme the Trojan defenses against some of the best minds out there today?
USC will be dominant on offense. More than likely being in the top ten and possibly top 5. Getting the Trojan defense to keep up with their compatriots might be too tall of task when sidled with a geriatric play caller.
This being an all in year for USC as well, makes me think Riley might be putting his eggs in the wrong basket.
I want to be proven wrong. USC winning 10+ games is good for Los Angeles, good for college football and good for the Hater Radio brand. And they should be able to this year.
But with a daunting Big Ten schedule that sees the men of Troy play Oregon, Washington, Ohio St., as well as road games at Penn St. and defending national champion Indiana, you would have thought Riley might bring in a known defensive commodity in the vein of Lynn.
We make look back in three months and laugh at my analysis. I really do hope so. And Lincoln Riley better hope as well. Cause his job might depend on it.
