Identifying 5 USC Trojans Coaching Candidates to Replace Lincoln Riley in 2027

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Will Lincoln Riley be fired? It seemed uncertain entering the 2026 college football season, with Southern California’s storied program viewed as a top-15 team with a star quarterback. After five games and so much evidence of nothing changing, it’s clearly time for a USC Trojans coaching search.

Let’s dive into our list of Trojans coaching candidates who could replace Riley.

Spencer Danielson, Boise State Broncos HC

The Boise State Broncos have looked far more competitive head-to-head against Oregon under head coach Spencer Danielson than USC has with Lincoln Riley. Boise State went into Eugene on Sept. 5 and lost 34-27 and that came two years after the program lost a 37-34 heartbreaker at Autzen Stadium to the Ducks. Danielson, a California native, took over at Boise State late in the 2023 campaign after Andy Avalos was let go and the program went 3-1 to close out the year. The Broncos followed that up with a 12-2 mark in 2024 and made the College Football Playoff. He’s helped Boise State maintain that success even after Ashton Jeanty left for the NFL, earning his third consecutive Mountain West championship this past season. The former defensive coordinator brings a background that provides much-needed change to USC and it would only cost the program a $3.5 million buyout to poach him from Boise State. This would be a bit of a gamble for the Trojans, but it’s an affordable one and Danielson’s West Coast recruits make it an even better fit.

Rhett Lashlee, SMU Mustangs HC

The SMU Mustangs football program is on the rise again with boosters starting to pour more money into the team and facilities all thanks to head coach Rhett Lashlee. Lashlee, age 43, landed his first head-coaching job in 2022 after successful stints as an offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at SMU and with Miami. Prior to his arrival, Southern Methodist University hadn’t experienced consecutive seasons with double-digit wins since the Bobby Collins era in the early 1980s. In 2023, his second year on the job, Lashlee got the Mustangs (11-3) into the College Football Playoff for the first time in program history. He followed that up with a 9-4 campaign this past year. It would be tough for most programs to pry Lashlee away from SMU, but the team’s loss to Louisville this year and some of its defeats in 2025 show that he might never have the quantity of high-end talent needed to take this program to the next level. USC has those resources and can provide Lashlee with the money he needs to build a great coaching staff and fill out his roster with the depth he needs on both sides of the ball to compete each year for a playoff spot.

Glenn Schumann, Georgia Bulldogs DC

Similar to Dan Lanning a few seasons ago, it’s going to take a marquee Power 4 program with deep pockets and a great recruiting pipeline to land Georgia Bulldogs defensive coordinator Glenn Schumann. The Georgia native worked under Nick Saban (2008-2014) and then followed Kirby Smart to Athens when he was named the program’s head coach in 2016. By 2019, Schumann became co-defensive coordinator and he got the title all to himself when Lanning left for Oregon. Schumann can absolutely revitalize USC’s defense, bringing it to the level necessary to compete with the best teams in the Big Ten Conference. He also boasts a great track record when it comes to recruiting, both at Alabama and now Georgia. There would be the obvious risk with this hire, given he has no head-coaching experience and his success has all come under two of the greatest college football coaches of the modern era. It can still be a worthwhile gamble for USC.

Kalani Sitake, BYU Cougars HC

It wouldn’t be a proper list of Trojans coaching candidates without Kalani Sitake. The BYU Cougars head coach seemed destined to take over at Penn State before Crumbl CEO Jason McGowan stepped in with an offer that Sitake couldn’t refuse. It’s worth wondering if BYU’s boosters might step up again if USC came calling. Sitake, the reigning Big 12 Coach of the Year, carries a great resume of success on the defensive side of the ball at Utah and Oregon State. As the Cougars’ head coach, he’s delivered four seasons with double-digit wins and will likely earn his fifth in 2026. If the Trojans are willing to get into a bidding war with the increasingly deep pockets at BYU, Sitake would be a home-run hire and an immediate upgrade over Riley.

Kenny Dillingham, Arizona State Sun Devils HC

Can anyone pull Arizona State Sun Devils coach Kenny Dillingham away from his alma mater? Winning Big 12 Coach of the Year and a conference title in 2024 looks a bit more impressive a few years later seeing Sam Leavitt’s passing struggles at LSU. Dillingham delivered again in 2025, somehow posting an 8-3 record despite Jeff Sims having to become his starting quarterback and No. 1 wide receiver Jordyn Tyson’s year being derailed by a hamstring injury. Dillingham has an extensive coaching pipeline from his stints at Auburn, Florida State and Oregon to build a quality coaching staff, too. Most importantly, he might no longer have to campaign as hard to boosters and alumni to open up their checkbooks if he goes to USC. We’d love the fit in Southern California for Dillingham, it’s simply a question of if he’d leave his home to become the Trojans’ head coach.

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