Heading into his 5th season at USC, Lincoln Riley isn't on the hot seat, but the fanbase is slowly losing their patience as this team hasn't made the College Football Playoff or won a conference championship. Lincoln Riley is 35-18 at USC with a 24-12 record, and if there was a reason to start believing, it was the fact that the defense was finally playing at a high enough level.
That sentiment then went out the window when Lincoln Riley lost defensive coordinator D'Anton Lynn to his alma mater, Penn State. Lynn's arrival at USC was massive for the Trojans as the unit became better overnight, finally shedding Lincoln Riley's teams of the sentiment that they couldn't play defense.
When Texas fired Pete Kwiatkowski, it looked like the Trojans may quickly end up with another impressive defensive mind. Instead, USC's defensive coordinator role remains vacant even as the team recruits the Transfer Portal and High School ranks.
Hall of Fame head coach Gary Patterson tied to Lincoln Riley as next DC
On Sunday, it was revealed which direction Lincoln Riley may be looking in as it was reported that the Trojans were in contact with Hall of Fame head coach Gary Patterson to fill the vacant role.
NEW: USC and Gary Patterson have been in communication regarding the open defensive coordinator job, @Clowfb, @Brett_McMurphy & @PeteNakos report✌️https://t.co/A5zHOsSJxk pic.twitter.com/LFEToCMSug
— On3 (@On3) January 18, 2026
The news is shocking given that Gary Patterson hasn't served a major role since his departure from TCU in 2021. Patterson spent time as a special assistant to Steve Sarkisian at Texas and as a consultant for Baylor.
Landing Gary Patterson would be a massive win for the USC Trojans at this point in the offseason. Before becoming a head coach, Gary Patterson rose through the ranks as a defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach. Given that he hasn't been a defensive coordinator since 2000, there would be some reason to be concerned if he's the hire.
If Lincoln Riley hires Gary Patterson, it would be the best for his track record of developing players. TCU constantly found under-the-radar recruits and developed them into stars, and giving Patterson the resources and name value that USC has could make him an excellent recruiter with this staff.