Lincoln Riley Reportedly Has Pneumonia
It's been a tumultuous past week or so for Lincoln Riley and the USC Trojans football team.
Riley missed the past few days of practice in Los Angeles after the Trojans' disastrous loss to the Utah Utes on Saturday, sparking rumors that he has one foot out the door of the USC program.
His absence was explained as being due to an "illness," which did little to stem the tide of suggestions that he was interviewing for NFL jobs or avoiding the media after he restricted access to the players after the Utah game.
USC reporter Antonio Morales reported on Wednesday though, that Riley was actually suffering from pneumonia. And that despite the relatively serious illness, he was back at practice.
SOUTH BEND, IN - OCTOBER 14: USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley walks on the sideline during the college football game between the USC Trojans and Notre Dame Fighting Irish on October 14, 2023, at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, IN. (Photo by Jordon Kelly/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Riley And USC Program Seem To Be In Disarray
For a season that started with National Championship hopes, it took just eight weeks for the Trojans to become an unmitigated disaster.
Lincoln Riley's faith in defensive coordinator Alex Grinch has turned out to be severely misplaced, as the USC defense faltered in key situations against Utah. After giving up 48 points to Notre Dame in South Bend the week before.
Caleb Williams, for several weeks now, hasn't played anywhere near the level of his Heisman-winning 2022 season. Perhaps because of a nagging injury, poor offensive line play, or defenses catching up to Riley's offensive play calling.
Year two in LA was supposed to be a year of significant progress for the USC football program, but with Oregon, Washington and UCLA still on the schedule, it seems like there's more likelihood of regression. Despite this being Williams and Riley's second year in LA.
Pneumonia is no joke, but Riley is apparently healthy enough to be back at practice Wednesday. He'll have to hope for some improvements this Saturday at Cal, otherwise calls for major changes in the coaching staff will only get louder.