Lincoln Riley Wants to 'Take Advantage' of Pete Carroll Returning to USC

James Brizuela | Aug 22, 2024

October 3, 2009; Berkeley, CA, USA; USC Trojans head coach Pete Carroll calls a play during the fourth quarter against the California Golden Bears at Memorial Stadium. The Trojans defeated the Golden Bears 30-3. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports / Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

The USC Trojans Football world got a big surprise when it was announced that legendary head coach Pete Carroll would be returning to campus. However, his return was for a very different reason.

Carroll announced that he would return to USC to teach a class in the fall, and not arrive for the purposes of aiding the football program. Though the news was met with a bit of disappointment, current Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley reignited the possibility of Carroll's arrival meaning something for the college.

Riley spoke about the return of Carroll, stating that he plans to "take advantage" of the former head coach being back on campus.

“I'd love to have him,” Riley said, via Ryan Kartje of the L.A. Times. “He’s great. Coach has been great to me. We’ve had a chance to catch up pretty often, check in with each other. He’s been a great resource and a great person to be able to pick his brain. He’s been very good to me."

“I’m excited he’s going to be here more, and we’d be crazy not to take advantage of having him around. Whether it’s an official role or not, he’s made it very clear that we’ve got a good open line of communication. It’s one that I appreciate and respect very much and will always never hesitate to pick up the phone and call him and reach out to him because, obviously, of how successful he was as a coach. He’s got a great knowledge of this place. I’ve been appreciative of his help and his friendship and will be glad to have him around a lot more," Riley added.

Riley first revealed that he and Carroll have had open dialogue with one another for quite some time, which is huge considering of how impactful Carroll was at USC and also in the NFL.

The other bit of news from Riley's comments are how he plans to take advantage of having Carroll around. Though Carroll is back to teach a class, it would be believed he would be paying the Trojans team a visit or two during his time on campus.

Carroll has not stated he plans to return to coaching anytime soon, but it's not out of the realm of possibility. After spending the last 14 seasons with the Seattle Seahawks, and securing two Super Bowl titles — he has chosen to take a step back from being a head coach in the NFL.

Instead of coaching in the pros, though, he could find his way back to the collegiate level. At the very least, he will be able to rejoin the Trojans alongside Coach Riley.