FOOTBALL

USC Morning Buzz: Lincoln Riley Made Almost $12 Million In 2024

Lincoln Riley made nearly $12 million in 2024 according to USC’s federal tax records and went 7-6 that season.

That means Riley earned about $1.7 million per victory.

This isn’t exactly earth shattering news given that Riley signed a 10-year, roughly $100 million contract but it does provide a specific number. And it means he is making even more in 2026.

One would think Riley would show a certain amount of humility given his performance and grotesque salary.

Instead, he ends the Notre Dame series, blows off the fans and acts like he is owed a living from USC, while his representation put out word in the offseason that he was available for other jobs.

What a world.

  • Meanwhile, Eric Musselman made $5.1 million in 2024. Also overpaid but at least he interacts with the fans.

33 thoughts on “USC Morning Buzz: Lincoln Riley Made Almost $12 Million In 2024”

    1. KAM: Where is The Bohn-Head today? Last we heard, he faced serious allegations of racial harassment and discrimination. These claims were brought to light by Joyce Bell Limbrick, a former high-ranking official in USC’s athletic department. It was settled out of court last March.

      DON: The lawsuit highlighted a pattern of inappropriate behavior and comments made by Bohn, corroborated by multiple sources within the department. He was a class guy when he wanted to be.

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      1. I thought Folt fired him due to sexual harassment, not racial discrimination. The only allegation that I recall at that time was that he said something about how a women in his department dressed. I wished Scott would disclose the specific allegations in the lawsuit for racial discrimination. What were the allegedly inappropriate comments?

        Liked by 2 people

      2. Bohn walked straight up to a 32 year old blond staffer at a New Year’s Eve Party and told her “You look nice.” She has since been unable to eat or sleep or talk.

        There are multiple such stories..

        #LivesRuined

        Liked by 2 people

      5. Maybe its racial discrimination because the girl in the sweater is either Black or Hispanic. Can’t be Asian because the university no longer counts them as a racial minority. They over achieve and therefore are excluded from the oppressed class.

        And really MG, nobody ever pitched a tent to Joy Behar. Nor did they compliment her sweater.

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  2. Football can afford Lincoln Riley , and can afford to eat the mistake just like with Helton, Kiffin, and Sarkisian.

    USC can’t afford to pay a basketball coach 5.1m they have some of the worst home attendance in the country, and made it once to the Sweet 16 so Musselman is the one who is really overpaid especially since he is being paid at a level as one of the top coaches in the country which he is not, and never will be.

    USC paid alot of money to get top talent for next season. With the money spent the Team must make the Sweet 16 with no excuses from Musselman..again in his 3rd season. My gut feeling is the team will make the NCAA tournament after a 5th place finish in the Big 10, and lose in the 1st round of the NCAA tournament.

    My point is Musselman is not the right coach for USC basketball, and even with all the hype USC will remain at best an average basketball program even though they are spending alot of money.

    Bottom line we have NBA talent, but a terrible basketball coach.

    Why did USC not go after Randy Bennett the former St. Mary’s Coach who is now at Arizona State. The guy is a proven winner, recruits players to form a team, and works for a lot less money than Musselman, We need a basketball coach who can coach, and win with less talent on a consistent basis year to year. We also don’t need a basketball coach who pays his son a higher salary than some of his assistants yet he has very little coaching experience.

    USC is a “wanna be” in men’s college basketball. I want USC to put the money into the baseball program, and add women’s softball. We have spent close to 15 million on players and coaches for this upcoming season for at best a 1 and done season so don’t tell me USC could not purchase a vacant lot on Vermont or Jefferson to build a small softball diamond with a few bleachers.

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    1. KAM: 135 years since James Naismith invented basketball…

      DON: And USC can’t claim one men’s basketball championship, not even a mythical championship decreed by the Helms Bakery!

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      2. My third grade class took a field trip to Helm’s Bakery. Better than the museum. They gave us a free loaf of bread in the shape of a Helm’s delivery truck.

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  3. Lincoln making news.

    Over the years, there have been some big-baller head coaches in college football who, in a way, bankrupted and finessed their programs. Jimbo Fisher is the poster child, and Brian Kelly is the latest example. But what they do have in common is that they both got fired and are now pretty much jobless right now. Then, there’s one head coach out of the Big Ten who had two fewer wins than Brian Kelly in 2024, and made two more million dollars than him, and still holds one of the top 10 highest-paid head coaching jobs: the one and only Lincoln Riley at USC.

    https://www.essentiallysports.com/ncaa-college-football-news-big-ten-hc-received-nearly-twelve-m-for-winning-just-seven-games-in-twenty-twenty-four-lincoln-riley-usc-trojans/

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    1. Graded on the same scale that says Newsom & Bass have a done a great job on the number of homeless in our state, makes seven wins a huge success!

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      1. Only difference: Riley MAY yet come through.

        Newsom and Bass will merely go further and further left until they fall off the face of the earth.

        Liked by 1 person

  4. WILEY: SC paid me the big bucks because I took Oklahoma to 3 semi-final playoff games. The Trojans were looking for me to repeat that success with them, but I didn’t guarantee them any wins. SC football was a wreck when I took over and had been since 2010

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    1. DON: The Trojans were looking good with Super Bowl Champ Mr. Darnold after the 2016 season and 2017 Rose Bowl victory. They really hit the skids two seasons after that.

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    2. Bohn and his lacky failed to look at the fact that Riley’s teams gave up a combined 162 points in the three loses, that’s 54 a game, and that little fact should have sent off every alarm bell there was, but we all know USC and due diligence don’t go together.

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    3. KAM: Why do you spread such disinformation, Cowardly Sparrow Gabby?

      Lincoln Riley’s expectation at USC is to ‘win championships, and win them now’

      Yahoo Sports

      Mon, Aug 1, 2022

      Yahoo Sports’ Dan Wetzel and Sports Illustrated’s Pat Forde discuss USC head coach Lincoln Riley’s comments saying that he expects to compete for and win championships immediately at USC, and debate the ceiling for USC this season.

      DON: Cowardly Sparrow Gabby caught once again!

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  6. See USC is overpaying coaches who came to USC with no national championships which is a key ingredient to obtain salaries at the top of the pay scale.

    USC has already made alot of mistakes in football hiring, and now they made even a worse mistake in Eric Musselman who is way over paid for the national and local interest in USC basketball which really has a limited following. USC hopes one sensational year in basketball will spark attendance forever instead of building a program with consistent success.

    Bottom line- just watch USC will be good in basketball this year, but not great with no home court advantage, maybe a NCAA tournament appearance, and then after the 15 million is spent this year what will the team look like the following season when the money spent did not generate significant return. USC Men’s Basketball has a history of inconsistency, and in LA you need to develop a strong loyal fan base foundation who expects winning every season not once every five years. Hiring Eric Musselman, and his 1 year turn it around plan was and is a huge gamble, and frankly I don’t think it will be enough to keep Muss for another season based on the cost of doing business with him.

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  7. Scott, you do realize that we have an economic system in our country that is based on capitalism where the market determines prices. At the time that LR was hired, he was viewed as worth the 100 million by his future employer so why should he apologize. If the L.A. Times offered you a million a year for a sports column, there might be a lot of subscribers who viewed you as overpaid, but they don’t determine the free market unless subscriptions fall and they don’t want to renew you for that amount. If his contract stated that he needs to interact with fans a certain number of times a year and if it included a proviso that he must play ND; then bring up those things. If its not written in a contract, he doesn’t need to cater to your or my whims. How about some actual football news like new recruits, injury updates and the like. Fight on, Dan, Class of 1962

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    1. What is Scott’s genius? He knows how to generate comments. It’s his uncontested specialty. That said: Lincoln does interact with fans, Lincoln does understand offense [but isn’t in charge of injury-prevention] and he’s adjusting to transitioning from the Big 12 to Pac 12 to Big Ten about as fast as can be reasonably expected.

      #Let’sHoldOffOnTheHateTillWeSeeWhatHappensInOregonGame

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      1. btw, if ever anyone is typing something that they feel might get them in trouble —and they’re not sure whether they want to be associated with the remarks they’re typing….just include the name of T-R-U-M-P…and… the moderator will take care of it for ya….

        Liked by 1 person

      2. KAM: 4 years of failure is “as fast as can reasonably be expected”?

        DON: Weird how it took Curt Cignetti 2 years at a school that hasn’t mattered since 1967.

        Liked by 1 person

  8. IN life it use to be “you get what you paid for.” In the case of Lincoln Riley , and Eric Musselman USC is not getting any return on the investment. This is why many school are hiring coaches from lower level/smaller college to lower the risk. I have a feeling the new UCLA Coach who came with a low salary is going to move the salary market for coaches in the downward direction due to the fact he will be somewhat successful.

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