"One of the most challenging hires": Lincoln Riley reveals the painstaking process of getting Chad Bowden to USC

On Thursday, USC Trojans coach Lincoln Riley said hiring Chad Bowden as the team's general manager was a tiring process. With changes in college football, including the transfer portal and upcoming salary cap, a strong front office is essential.

"It's one of the most challenging hires that I've been a part of," Riley said to On3 (6:45). "If you want to go hire a linebacker coach, you go interview the best linebacker coaches and try to hire the best guy you can, it's pretty clear-cut. This one, with all the way college football has changed, it's a much more difficult hire. You are entering a salary cap era, so there is an appeal of pro experience. ...

"This person has to have a lot of great skill sets and handle a lot of different things. We interviewed more people for this position than any other search I've been part of. It was thorough, eight, nine months and I feel like our patient was rewarded and we got the best guy in the business."

Bowden comes from Notre Dame, where he's a nationally renowned college football administrator who excelled in NIL, transfer portal and recruiting. According to multiple reports, USC offered him a multi-year deal of $1 million annually as he would be a big part of the football recruiting process.

Lincoln Riley eager to work with Chad Bowden at USC

After the USC Trojans hired Chad Bowden, Lincoln Riley was ecstatic with the hiring.

Riley says Bowden will be a vital part of the Trojans football for years to come.

"We are very excited to welcome Chad Bowden to our staff," Riley said, via Sports Illustrated. ... "With the support of Jen Cohen and the administration, Chad's hire is both vital to the future of our program and sends a strong message about the direction of USC Football. We're excited for him to arrive and hit the ground running."

USC went 7-6 last season.