Lincoln Riley Announces Decision on Coaching Future Amid ...

By Matt Audilet

Contributing Sports Writer

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The Florida Gators are on the hunt for their next head football coach following the firing of Billy Napier earlier this season.

The program is targeting Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin as its top option, but could very well be forced to look elsewhere if he elects to stay put in Oxford or take a different SEC coaching job with the LSU Tigers.

Florida suffered a blowout loss to the visiting Tennessee Volunteers at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium this past Saturday. During the broadcast, ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit floated USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley as a secondary option for the Gators if Kiffin choses to coach elsewhere.

“Everybody’s talking about Lane [Kiffin],” Herbstreit said. “What if Lane Kiffin stays at Ole Miss or goes to LSU? I’ve been asking everybody, ‘What if you don’t get Lane Kiffin? Who’s next?’ Lincoln Riley… I’ve heard his name."

After USC's practice on Tuesday evening, Riley was asked if he plans to stay with the Trojans program amid these coaching rumors.

"Oh yeah, 100 percent. Like I said before, I’m right where I’m supposed to be," Riley said, via team reporter Ryan Kartje of the Los Angeles Times. "I think nothing other than what we're building... I love being here."

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Riley signed a reported 10-year, $110 million contract with USC before the 2022 college football season. Since then, the former Oklahoma Sooners head coach has amassed a 34-17 overall record with the Trojans.

USC is 8-3 on the 2025 season, fresh off a 42-27 loss to the Oregon Ducks this past weekend. The team holds No. 17 position in the College Football Playoff rankings heading into Saturday's regular-season finale against the UCLA Bruins.

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"The season is not over," Riley said after USC's loss to Oregon. "We have a game next week. We are going to get ready for UCLA. We have won a bunch of games this year. The ones we haven’t won, we have been right there. We have a great opportunity to get win number nine this week. That is what we are going to put our focus on.”

Saturday night's UCLA-USC game will kickoff at 7:30 p.m. ET.

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