Lincoln Riley Set To Become USC's Newest Head Coach, Dodging OU's Invite To The SEC

Oklahoma Sooners head coach Lincoln Riley is heading to Southern California to become the newest coach for the USC Trojans, per ESPN's sources.

A name reportedly vetted for the Dallas Cowboys' head coaching gig at one point and recently seen as a prime pick for the LSU gig post-Ed Orgeron, Riley's pick to give up all options in favor USC came as a bit of a shock. Riley's accrued success for a premier football program in OU gave him quite the cachet to pick whichever head coaching vacancy he desired.

Since picking up the mantle left by Bob Stoops in 2017, Riley helped the Sooners reach the College Football Playoff four times and leaves Norman with an overall record of 55-10.

The coach responded to rumors connecting him to the LSU role on Saturday and entirely shut down the possibility.

"Looks like somebody is scared of competing in the SEC," said OutKick founder Clay Travis following the USC announcement.

Riley's move to USC is, of course, a win for parity. While the sexy pick of LSU had fans salivating at the prospects of an offense powered by Lincoln's knack for play calling, his move to So Cal grants Pac-12 football a shot at relevance, even as the SEC anticipates the inclusion of Texas and Oklahoma in the coming years. 

Stay tuned with OutKick as the newly announced coaching hire develops in the coming week.

Follow along on Twitter: @AlejandroAveela