Jen Cohen Provides Clear Stance on Lincoln Riley's Future at USC

Despite the USC Trojans struggling in their first season in the Big Ten, Jen Cohen, the school’s AD, is backing up coach Lincoln Riley. In an interview published on Friday in the Los Angeles Times, the executive said she expects the Trojans to rebound in their second season in the conference.

Cohen believes that with more support around the football program, results could be better in 2025 after finishing with a 7-6 record last year.

“Lincoln has the experience, right?” Cohen said. “He’s built and led championship teams before. And so my focus with him is just investing and giving him — and not just him, but his entire coaching staff, his support staff that he has around him —every resource possible to get to the next level.”

After starting the season with three wins in four games, including an opening day victory over the LSU Tigers, USC floundered in Big Ten play. The Trojans finished with a 4-5 conference record. They were able to salvage a winning season by beating Texas A&M in the Las Vegas Bowl.

The Trojans already started to address the structure of the team by getting former Notre Dame general manager Chad Bowden to Troy. Bowden will be the first person to hold the position at the school.

Southern Cal also got former Wisconsin general manager Max Stienecker to serve as the team’s executive director of player personnel. Both moves aim to improve Lincoln Riley’s staff on the personnel side.

The road ahead is challenging, as the Big Ten has become one of the strongest conferences in the nation with perennial powerhouses Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State, as well as rising programs in Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin and Indiana among others.

Lincoln Riley grants scholarship to former walk-on OL

Preferred walk-on offensive lineman Killian O’Connor had a notable moment on Friday. The 2025 senior from Ladera Ranch, California, was rewarded with a scholarship from Lincoln Riley and the Trojans entering 2025.

The moment was shared by USC on social media.

The offensive lineman mentioned that both his father and grandfather had been college walk-ons, so getting a scholarship was a big deal in the O'Connor family.

O’Connor has been a solid reserve for Southern Cal and is coming off his first career start at center in the Las Vegas Bowl. In that game, he took 74 snaps and allowed a single pressure. He was also a team captain in that game.