The Hire That Could Determine USC’s Path to the College Football Playoff

Lincoln Riley zeroed in on former longtime TCU head coach Gary Patterson to be the USC Trojans next defensive coordinator. Can the future Hall of Famer elevate the Trojans defense to a level that makes them College Football Playoff contenders?

Sep 4, 2021; Fort Worth, Texas, USA; TCU Horned Frogs head coach Gary Patterson and his team before the game between the TCU Horned Frogs and the Duquesne Dukes at Amon G. Carter Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

USC coach Lincoln Riley entered this offseason facing the most important hiring decision of his coaching career. 

Trojans defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn departed from USC after two seasons in December to take the same position with his alma mater, Penn State. And while the Trojans saw improvements from the previous regime, which had them at the bottom of every statistical category, the defense was still not at the level they needed to make a run at the College Football Playoff. 

Lincoln Riley Targets Former Big 12 Rival

Sep 4, 2021; Fort Worth, Texas, USA; TCU Horned Frogs head coach Gary Patterson and his team before the game between the TCU Horned Frogs and the Duquesne Dukes at Amon G. Carter Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

It was a long and extensive search, but Riley identified a familiar face from his Big 12 days, former longtime TCU head coach Gary Patterson, a 2026 Hall of Fame electee. Riley saw Patterson’s defense seven times between his stints as the Oklahoma Sooners offensive coordinator and head coach. 

Riley noted during Patterson’s opening press conference last month how much of a pain it was to scheme against his defenses. 

Patterson won 181 games over the course of his 21 seasons as the Horned Frogs coach. His signature 4-2-5 defense finished No. 1 in the country in yards allowed five times. It also matches the Trojans current roster construction. 

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The 65-year-old coach has watched the game from afar since his departure from TCU in 2021. He served as a consultant for Texas and Baylor over the past few seasons and also spent time away from the game, but that doesn’t mean he wasn’t studying the game. 

Patterson spoke during opening press conference about his plans to marry concepts he learned while working at Texas and Baylor, with what USC has done with its 4-2-5 defense recently.  USC has kept staff members such as cornerbacks coach Trovon Reed and at the moment, defensive ends coach Shaun Nua. Riley hired linebackers coach Mike Ekeler and then Patterson brought over one of his longtime time assistants, Paul Gonzales, to be the secondary coach.

For Patterson, he will have the luxury of having resources and access to talent that he never had during his tenure at TCU. Patterson has been one of the better coaches of the 21st century at identifying and developing talent. USC is hoping that translates over with its program.

It’s the reason the Horned Frogs were consistently in the national spotlight, even when they were still a Group of Five school. He built stout defenses in Fort Worth with non-blue-chip players that turned into All-Americans and first round draft picks.

College Football Playoff Hopes Hinge on Gary Patterson Hiring

Oct 2, 2021; Fort Worth, Texas, USA; TCU Horned Frogs head coach Gary Patterson reacts during the second quarter against the Texas Longhorns at Amon G. Carter Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

The College Football Playoff has alluded Riley in each of his first four seasons with the Trojans. And most of it could be traced back to struggles on the defensive side of the ball. 

USC came close in Riley’s first season. They won 11 games but two losses against Utah, where the defense allowed more than 40 points, including the Pac-12 Championship Game, ultimately kept them out. And it was capped off by an embarrassing defensive performance in the Cotton Bowl against Tulane. 

In 2023, Caleb Williams’s final collegiate season, the former Heisman Trophy winner, was essentially put in a position where USC needed to score 40 just to be in the game. He was asked to be Superman every week and save them on a weekly basis.

In the Alamo Bowl this past December, TCU running back Jeremy Payne’s 35-yard walk-off touchdown, where he evaded several tacklers, summed up the issues with Riley’s teams dating back to his Oklahoma days. 

Dec 30, 2025; San Antonio, TX, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley watches in the first half against the TCU Horned Frogs during the Alamo Bowl at Alamodome. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Offense will never be a problem at USC. High-octane offenses and award winners are expected under Riley. 

And the defense doesn’t necessarily need to be at the top of every category. Although, with all the talent they have accumulated in recruiting recently, particularly with the 2026 class, it’s fair to expect them to get their sooner rather than later. 

The defense just needs to be a good enough level, which all anyone has asked. They need to hold their end of the bargain if USC wants to take the next step as a program and be perennial Big Ten and national championship contenders.