The hiring of Lincoln Riley in late November 2021 marked a significant turning point for the University of Southern California's (USC) football program. Not only was this move anticipated to revitalize a struggling team, but it also came at a hefty price tag. Riley, known for his impressive coaching skills and innovative strategies, was brought on board to lead the Trojans into a new era of success. However, his recruitment required USC to make substantial financial commitments, raising questions about the implications of such investments in college athletics.
Between July 1, 2022, and June 30, 2023, USC reported a staggering $19.7 million in compensation for Riley, according to a federal tax return acquired by The Times. This amount included $10.042 million in base salary and benefits for the 2022 season alone. At that time, Riley's compensation placed him among the elite group of college coaches earning eight-figure salaries, alongside names like Nick Saban and Dabo Swinney, who have multiple national championships under their belts. This hefty investment illustrates how far colleges are willing to go to secure top coaching talent in an increasingly competitive landscape.
As USC navigated the financial landscape of hiring Riley, it also had to account for the costs associated with the previous head coach, Clay Helton, who received nearly $4 million in severance despite coaching elsewhere. The total expenditure for bringing in Riley and parting ways with Helton approached $24 million for the 2022 fiscal year. This serves as a reminder of the financial complexities involved in college athletics and the balancing act institutions must perform when investing in their sports programs.
His hire, in late November 2021, was heralded as a monumental moment for USC and its struggling football program. But actually landing Lincoln Riley, one of the brightest young minds in college football, did not come cheap.
USC shelled out $19.7 million in reportable compensation to Riley between July 1, 2022, and June 30, 2023, according to a federal tax return filed by the university and obtained by The Times. Of that nearly $20 million, USC paid its new coach $10.042 million in base pay and benefits for the 2022 season.
At the time, that number made Riley one of just four coaches in all of college football earning eight figures in salary and benefits. The other three — Alabama’s Nick Saban, Georgia’s Kirby Smart and Clemson’s Dabo Swinney — had all won at least two national championships. Three other coaches —
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