Ranking USC Trojans Coach Lincoln Riley's Salary: Worst Contract in College Football?

USC Trojans coach Lincoln Riley has one of the highest salaries in college football. Where does the value of his contract rank, and is it the worst in college football?

Oct 12, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley during a time out against the Penn State Nittany Lions in the first half at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

In 2022, the USC Trojans hired coach Lincoln Riley. Riley reportedly earned a 10-year deal worth $110 million. It was a big move then but where does Riley’s contract rank now? 

Riley came to USC with high hopes. While he has since coached a Heisman-winning quarterback, USC has fallen short in the College Football playoffs. The Trojans are now unranked with a 3-3 record, a place they were not expected to be. Having a contract of this caliber, the expectation is for Riley to be winning more games.

Riley currently has the fourth-largest salary in college football. His contract is the highest in the Big Ten, slightly higher than Ohio State coach Ryan Day. Despite having the highest coaching salary in the Big Ten, USC’s conference record is 1-3, the worst since 2001.

Oct 12, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley during a time out against the Penn State Nittany Lions in the first half at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

CBS Sports ranks Riley as one of the worst contracts in college football. His salary ranking sits at fourth, costing $3.35 million per win. Riley is 0-3 against AP Top-10 opponents and 4-9 against ranked teams.

Signing a large contract comes with high expectations. While former USC quarterback Caleb Williams was selected with the No. 1 overall draft pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, the Trojans were still expected to be a playoff team. 

The two Big Ten coaches ranked with the best contract for how the programs are doing are Oregon Ducks coach Dan Lanning and Indiana Hoosiers coach Curt Cignetti.

Oregon is predicted to win the Big Ten. They are coming off of a major win against the Ohio State Buckeyes. Lanning is one of the highest-paid coaches but the Ducks are winning and ranked number two in the AP Top-25. Indiana is 6-0 to start the season. Cignetti’s salary is ranked 49th overall, yet Indiana is one of the three Big Ten teams still undefeated.

USC has remained close in every game they lost. The loss against Michigan and Minnesota came down to the final drive. USC took the Penn State Nittany Lions into overtime. The Trojans are competitive but have to come through in big moments.

Oct 5, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley looks on during the first half against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Huntington Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images / Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

As the head coach, Riley has taken ownership of the team’s losses this year. He still believes in what the program is building.

“To me, you don't change now. It sends the wrong message to your team that ok all of a sudden a few plays don't go your way, we're going to change now. Like, hell no. We're not doing that. We believe in what we're doing. We believe in what we're building," Riley said. “We know we have a good football team.”

While USC has not made playoffs since Riley became the coach, his contract is not the worst in college football. There are other coaches with large contracts and underperforming. Florida State is having a rough season, and their coach, Mike Norvell has the sixth-highest salary in college football. There is time for Riley to be successful at USC, though the playoff hopes for this season are likely gone.

Sep 1, 2024; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley reacts in the first half against the LSU Tigers at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Trojans must get back to winning games and continue building the program. The USC Trojans have big recruits coming in, especially with the class of 2025. USC has also been and will continue to take advantage of the transfer portal.

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