NFL Coaching Carousel: USC Trojans' Lincoln Riley, D'Anton Lynn Potential Hires

With NFL coaches about to be hired and fired once the season ends, three USC Trojans coaches are names to watch in the hiring process. USC coach Lincoln Riley, defensive coordinator D'Anton Lynn, and defensive line coach Eric Henderson have all been listed on early NFL coaching lists.

Nov 16, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley watches game action against the Nebraska Cornhuskers during the second half at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

With the 2024 football season ending soon, discussions of which NFL coaches will be fired and hired are on the rise. USC Trojans coach Lincoln Riley's name has been a consistently mentioned, but other USC coaches could get a shot in the NFL.

NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero released his list of coaches to watch in the NFL hiring cycle, and he included three current Trojans coaches. In addition to Riley, USC defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn and defensive line coach Eric Henderson are names to watch in the next coaching cycle.

The New York Jets, New Orleans Saints, and Chicago Bears are the only who have already fired their head coach. There are still more teams to watch for, including the Jacksonville Jaguars, the New York Giants. There will also be coordinator jobs that open up when the season ends.

The Bears already fired offensive coordinator Shane Waldron, and they announced the firing of Matt Eberflus on Friday after Thanksgiving.

Nov 16, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley watches game action against the Nebraska Cornhuskers during the second half at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Lincoln Riley

Riley is a name that is brought up yearly in the NFL coaching cycle. The idea of him leaving college quieted down when USC went on a three-game losing streak, but with the Trojans bowl eligible, the season-ending, and rumors of which NFL coaches will lose their jobs, Riley’s name is being brought up again.

Earlier in the season, Riley was linked to the Dallas Cowboys, as coach Mike McCarthy’s contract ends at the end of the 2024 season. This is not the first time that Riley was connected to Dallas in 2020 before they hired McCarthy. 

Riley has never coached in the NFL, but he has coached three Heisman-winning quarterbacks. Teams needing a new quarterback or who need to develop the one they already have could look to Riley as the ideal candidate. One team to watch for is the Chicago Bears, where former USC Heisman-winning quarterback Caleb Williams plays.

Aug 15, 2012; Cortland, NY, USA; New York Jets defensive back D'Anton Lynn (41) walks out to the practice field prior to the start of training camp at SUNY Cortland. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-Imagn Images / Rich Barnes-Imagn Images

D’Anton Lynn

2024 has been Lynn’s first stint as the defensive coordinator for the Trojans. Before coaching in college, Lynn has years of experience in the NFL, both coaching and playing.

Lynn has coached with the New York Jets, Buffalo Bills, Los Angeles Chargers, Houston Texans, and the Baltimore Ravens. Following the 2022 season with the Ravens, he went on to be a defensive coordinator for college, a position he has yet to hold in the NFL. Lynn is also the son of coach Anthony Lynn.

Through various injuries and players choosing to redshirt, Lynn’s defense has remained a competitive group. The USC defense has shown they can make the needed adjustments, only adding to Lynn's resume.

Aug 29, 2022; Thousand Oaks, CA, USA: Los Angeles Rams defensive line coach Eric Henderson during training camp at Cal Lutheran University. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Eric Henderson

A quieter name to watch is Henderson, who serves various roles on the Trojans’ defense. The 2024 season has been Henderson’s first year with the Trojans. He is the co-defensive coordinator, run game coordinator, and the defensive line coach. 

Henderson also has experience coaching in the NFL. He began with the Los Angeles Chargers as the assistant defensive line coach for two seasons. He then spent 2019-2023 with the Los Angeles Rams as the defensive line coach and the defensive run game coordinator. The Rams had a dominant defense while Henderson was with the team, including the 2021 season when the Rams were crowned Super Bowl champions.

Henderson could be a name to watch in the next coaching cycle, potentially getting a shot as a defensive coordinator in the league.

Nov 2, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley watches pregame warmups against the Washington Huskies at Alaska Airlines Field at Husky Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images / Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

The USC Trojans still have one game left against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. The team is also bowl eligible, which means the USC coaches will focus on finishing the season strong and winning the bowl game, but Riley, Lynn, and Henderson are all names to watch as the NFL coaching hiring cycle begins.

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