Paul Finebaum Calls for Firing of $72 Million ‘Fraud’ Head Coach After Week 4 Loss

ESPN analyst Paul Finebaum said Monday that USC should fire head coach Lincoln Riley and eat a buyout worth about $72 million, two days after Oregon beat the Trojans 41-27 at the Coliseum in Week 4.

Finebaum spoke on ESPN's First Take while answering a question about the one-game suspension of USC linebacker Desman Stephens II. "I think everybody knows who the fraud is," Finebaum said. "It is Lincoln Riley."

Finebaum compares Riley to Clay Helton

Paul Finebaum Calls for Firing of $72 Million ‘Fraud’ Head Coach After Week 4 Loss — USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Finebaum pointed to Clay Helton, the USC head coach the school fired in 2021.

"He has the same record at this point in his tenure as Clay Helton, who got fired and run off," Finebaum said. "It cost about $10 million to get rid of him. It will cost about $70 million to get rid of Lincoln Riley. But I promise you, USC people, it would be worth it because this guy is bringing your program down to the gutter."

Riley went 35-18 in his first four seasons at USC, which matched Helton's record through his first 53 games. He's now 39-19 with the Trojans.

The comments were a shift from Sunday. On The Matt Barrie Show, Finebaum said his take on Riley was "not going to be one of these, 'Lincoln Riley is a fraud. He should be fired.'"

"But I will tell you right now, Lincoln Riley is not an elite coach. He is not a coach capable of turning a program like Southern Cal around," Finebaum said. "I think he's a good coach. He was a better coach at Oklahoma than the Oklahoma fans now believe."

Finebaum is far from alone in the many calls questioning how much longer Riley's USC tenure will last.

What happened with Desman Stephens?

Stephens hit Oregon quarterback Dante Moore in the head and chest with his shoulder as Moore slid at the end of an 11-yard run in the second quarter. Officials ejected the USC linebacker for targeting. Moore left on a backboard and was later diagnosed with a concussion.

Stephens was seen laughing and celebrating on the sideline after the hit. After the game, Riley was asked why Stephens was allowed to stay on the sideline. "Because he's on our football team," Riley said.

USC announced the suspension Sunday, so Stephens will miss Saturday's game against Washington. In a statement, Riley called his linebacker's actions "unacceptable."

Finebaum ripped the timing of the punishment. "The fact that Lincoln Riley took until Sunday to decide to suspend Stephens, it's ridiculous," Finebaum said.

Riley's USC record since 2022

USC dropped six spots to No. 18 in the AP Top 25 after falling to 4-1 and 1-1 in the Big Ten. The Trojans are 5-15 against top-25 teams under Riley, and the fifth-year coach hasn't reached the College Football Playoff at USC.

Finebaum also took a shot at USC's place in its own city. "They don't even have the best team in Los Angeles right now," Finebaum said. "That belongs to UCLA."

UCLA is 4-0 and ranked No. 23 under first-year head coach Bob Chesney after a 54-3 win at Maryland in Week 4.

Washington visits USC on Saturday, Oct. 3, at 7:30 p.m. ET. The Trojans still face Penn State, Ohio State and Indiana later this season.

"Everybody knows who the fraud is. It's Lincoln Riley… it will cost about $70 million to get rid of Lincoln Riley. But I promise you, USC people, it will be worth it because this guy is bringing your program down to the gutter" – Paul Finebaum pic.twitter.com/Ir21TYRTlF
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) September 28, 2026

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