When the USC Trojans hired Lincoln Riley away from the Oklahoma Sooners, the expectation was that they’d be consistently competing for national championships. That hasn’t happened yet. Now, there has been some concern about his future with the program.

Going into the 2025 season, there are some questions about Riley’s job security. However, as Heather Dinich explained on Get Up, there is some reason to think he’s going to not only turn things around but have better security than most fans expect.

“He knows, because of where he is, he’s under tremendous pressure,” Heather Dinich said. “But the reality is he has a lengthy contract and a huge buyout.”

USC is a private school, which means contract details harder to obtain. Still, the Lincoln Riley contract has been heavily reported on. That includes that he made $11.5 million in total compensation for the 2023 season. That comes from a tax form, though, giving some insight into how much he’s making at USC. The exact number on his buyout is unavailable due to USC’s status as a private school, but in 2024, Pete Thamel reported the two were stuck with one another and the school, at that time, would owe Riley upwards of $90 million.

Still, it’s undeniable that Lincoln Riley has been a disappointment at USC. In five seasons at Oklahoma, he went 55-10 overall and won double-digit games every season except for the 2020 shortened campaign. In three seasons at USC, he’s 26-14 overall and has lost more games every season he’s been there. That includes just one double-digit win season. However, with several of last season’s six losses coming in close games, Heather Dinich does see a world where the Trojans rapidly improve.

“He told me this summer that he feels they are right on the doorstep,” Dinich said. “And they are. When you look back at last season, they lost five Big Ten games by seven points or fewer. That is the most in the FBS. So, he said, ‘Eventually, it’s going to happen.’”

USC may not want to or even be able to afford a buyout for Lincoln Riley this season, regardless of how things go. However, it’s still vital for Lincoln Riley to right the ship there for his long-term relationship with the school. That’s not going to be easy to do, though, with a difficult Big Ten schedule to play. That includes games against Michigan and Oregon. Then, USC will also be playing Notre Dame in South Bend.

First, USC will look to get the season off on the right foot. The Trojans open on August 30th against FCS Missouri State.