Paul Finebaum 'not even sure Lincoln Riley is a good coach anymore'

Paul Finebaum‘s disapproval of USC‘s Lincoln Riley continues to grow by the day. And it’s getting uglier.

One day after the ESPN college football analyst tabbed Riley as the college football coach under the most pressure in 2025, Finebaum went as far as saying he isn’t even sure he’s a good coach anymore. That came on Friday morning’s edition of “Get Up.”

“Lincoln was my favorite president, but he’s also my favorite punching bag in college football,” Finebaum said. “That is Lincoln Riley, not Abraham Lincoln. I don’t understand the love affair with him out in LA. Had I been the athletic director, he would have already been gone. Of course, I don’t have $80 million to pay his buyout. At some point, Southern Cal is gonna have to come to grips with the fact that he’s not an elite coach… I’m not even sure Lincoln Riley is a good coach anymore. He once was but that day has now passed.”

Riley, who was a career offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach, emerged as one of college football’s elite once he was promoted to Oklahoma’s head coach in 2017. With Riley at the helm, the Sooners compiled a 55-10 (37-7) record, made trips to three consecutive College Football Playoffs (2017-2019) and boasted two Heisman-winning quarterbacks (Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray).

Riley is 26-14 in three seasons at USC

Near the end of his fifth season in Norman, however, it was announced prior to Oklahoma‘s 2021 Alamo Bowl matchup against Oregon that Riley would be heading west for the USC job. The program, which was once at the forefront of the college football landscape, had struggled immensely as of late. The Trojans posted a lowly 22-21 record in Clay Helton‘s final four seasons (2018-2021).

Great things were expected immediately from Riley at USC, but that just hasn’t been the case. Although quarterback Caleb Williams became the third arm to win the Heisman Trophy under Riley, the Trojans are just 26-14 (17-10) with one top-25 finish in his three seasons at the helm.

The 2025 season will mark the second for USC in the Big Ten conference following its jump from the sinking ship that was the Pac-12. Its 2024 campaign opened strong with a 27-20 win over No. 13 LSU in the Vegas Kickoff Classic, but it went just 4-5 in Big Ten play en route to an appearance in the Las Vegas Bowl.

In what could very well be a make-or-break year for Riley, the Trojans avoided College Football Playoff teams Ohio State and Indiana on their schedule. They, however, host Michigan (Oct. 11) and travel to both Notre Dame (Oct. 18) and Oregon (Nov. 22).

USC opens its season against Missouri State on August 30. The game is set for a 7:30 p.m. ET kick.