LOOK: Lincoln Riley, Reggie Bush take in Super Bowl 56 in LA
New USC football coach Lincoln Riley appears to be enjoying his new home, as he attended Super Bowl 56 in Los Angeles. Riley posted a pair of photos on Twitter alongside former Trojans and NFL running back Reggie Bush at SoFi Stadium on Sunday evening.
But Lincoln Riley wasn’t the only new Trojan in attendance for Super Bowl Sunday. Quarterback Caleb Williams was also seen posing with USC director of marketing and branding Radmen Niven.
The Los Angeles Rams defeated the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday evening to claim the second Super Bowl in franchise history. Trailing 20-16 late in the fourth quarter, the Rams put together a game-winning touchdown drive to take the lead with 1:25 remaining. Defensive tackle Aaron Donald came away with the final stop on the Bengals next possession to secure the victory.
Riley took over as the USC coach this offseason after spending the past five years with the Oklahoma Sooners. Williams was one of many OU players to follow his old coach to Los Angeles. Others include star receiver Mario Williams and cornerback Latrell McCutchin.
The coach made headlines recently for his comments on the transfers in an interview with Colin Cowherd.
“We didn’t take players from Oklahoma,” Riley said. “We took players from the transfer portal. Those players and their families had to make a decision to stay at that university … or to enter the portal where they could be recruited by anybody.”
Regardless, Riley has his work cut out for him rebuilding the USC football program. The Trojans enjoyed plenty of success with Reggie Bush in the mid-2000s, even claiming a national title in 2005. But they have since struggled to remain relevant in the national conversation, with just one conference championship in the past 13 years. They finished 4-8 this past season missing out on a bowl game for the third time in the past four years.
USC will welcome the first game of the Lincoln Riley era on Sept. 3 against the Rice Owls.