Lincoln Riley Doesn’t Hold Back When Asked About Coaching Rumors

The USC Trojans fell to the Oregon Ducks this past Saturday, all but eliminating them from College Football Playoff contention. USC coach Lincoln Riley spoke to reporters after Tuesday's practice, touching on things ranging from his name being mentioned in coaching searches to how his team will get motivated for their upcoming rivalry game against the UCLA Bruins.

What Lincoln Riley Said

USC Trojans Lincoln Riley Oregon Ducks UCLA Bruins Rivalry Game Jayden Maiava Coaching Carousel Husan Longstreet Playoff — Southern California coach Lincoln Riley looks for answers against Oregon during the second half touchdown Nov. 22, 2025. | Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Staying With USC Amid Coaching Carousel

“Oh yeah, 100%. Yeah, like I said before, I'm right where I'm supposed to be. I think nothing other than what we're building literally. I love being here and yeah, that's really the end of it.”

Evaluation of Jayden Maiava

“Yeah, he's played good. He’s had a couple of turnovers. I think the majority of them, he's had a couple in some situations where we had to be really aggressive, like the very end of Notre Dame or even, you go for it the other day on a 4th and 10 at midfield. We've been in some situations where we have to be super, super aggressive.”

“He's missed a few throws here and there, but look at the run of defenses he's playing against, too. I don't know what the rankings are of the last six or seven opponents we've had defensively, but it's pretty good. So, he's played against good groups. We’ve continued to score points and win a lot of the games and have one of the best offenses in the country and he's been a big part of that. He's playing good. He's still learning. He can play better. But he’s continuing to give us chances to win every week.”

Jayden Maiava’s Biggest Improvements This Season

“I would say his situational awareness like the one that he kind of broke the pocket and threw the jump ball to Ja’Kobi on the 4th down. Just understanding that part of the game and the play you would normally maybe attempt that you kind of understand how aggressive that we have to be.”

“I think he, very high percentage of our plays knows what to do and knows where to go with the ball. I just think he's very comfortable with what we're doing, very focused, confident on his reads and that's why he's been pretty efficient all year.”

How Team Bounces Back With Playoff Hopes Gone

“I think if your culture is not very good and if your team's not very close or the program doesn't mean much to them then it's really, really tough. If those things are in a good place then you just keep going and you recognize and appreciate the opportunities at hand. This team for a lot of reasons is very, very hungry and excited to play this game and for whatever else comes after that. We've had a very good year. Right on the verge of being a great year, but a very good year.”

“We put ourselves in position to really finish strong. And then on top of this, obviously being a rivalry game and all that comes with that, senior day, there's just a million different reasons. And the other thing we've talked to the guys about is is paving the road. Number one is paving the road out for the guys that are leaving the program to make sure they leave on a high note.”

“And then the flip side of that is those guys that are leaving, really the whole team, continue to pave the road for the next group because that's what's happened here over the last few years. And that’s why you've seen this thing continue to go up and it's going to continue to do that. This week and how we how we prepare and how we play is a is a very key to all of that.”

Walk-Ons Becoming Contributors to This Year’s Team

“It's a huge boost. You kind of think maybe where we might have been had we not had some of those guys. It is at times, I know I've said in the past, a little bit more challenging here. This school is not just super easy to get into and it's not on the cheaper end, right? So you sometimes are limited a little bit and the walk-ons that have the opportunity to get into school here and join the program.”

“We've had to work hard at it. And we've wanted to because they're important and whether it's somebody like King or Kaylon, Ryon, Roman Marchetti, Quintanar…All these different guys, even Killian who started that way that have earned their way into playing on Saturdays or even maybe some of the guys that you don't hear their name all the time, but they contribute out here every day. Like, they're a huge part of this program. And they always will be.”

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On Husan Longstreet

“He's improved a lot. This has been such a valuable year for him. To serve as a backup quarterback, to learn, to just be there and kind of see all these things transpire. These are just things you can't simulate. And it gives you an opportunity to watch these different situations, how they happen, be able to kind of go back, what would you do, how would you handle it?”

“And the hope is is that you learn that all right, maybe I wasn't the one playing, but when I am in this situation, I know exactly what I need to do or what I don't need to do. And it might be about on the field, it might be about leadership, it might be about a a number of different things. So I think that's been really valuable for Husan. Listen, at this day and age, we understand that sometimes people have patience, sometimes they don’t."

“This would be a for any player, especially a quarterback, would be..I don't know if this would be the right time to leave this place. This thing's getting pretty good, and I think a lot of people recognize that, both in what we have now and what we're bringing in and kind of where this thing's going. I understand in this day and age things happen, but I think the other thing I would lean on is you look at the track record of some of the quarterbacks we've had and the reality is other than other than really Jalen Hurts, we haven't had any quarterback that like just came in and was the guy right away.”

“And Jaylen had to earn it, but he was the starter the first game he was here. Every one of them, all the guys that did all the things, they all had their time and that time was valuable for them. And if you ask them now, maybe then they wanted to be playing, of course, the competitor and them, but if you ask them now, they are all damn happy that they had that time and it made a big difference because when it became their time, they were ready.”

On UCLA Rivalry

“It's so unique. I've been a part of some other really good ones and this one stacks right up there. Obviously the proximity, I think the familiarity of the team, the teams, the players, it's such a unique rivalry…I love it man. It's one I know that's important to obviously the city, to both schools. I know how important it is to our program and it's one that I look forward to every single year.”

“There’s just something about whether we're at the Rose Bowl or the Coliseum coming out under that lights and you see both teams in their home jerseys and like those colors and that atmosphere and you're doing it in two of the most iconic places ever to play college football. It just just gives you goosebumps, man. So now I’m appreciative every time I get to coach in it. We know how important it is and we're looking forward to going out there and competing.”