Paul Finebaum Goes After Lincoln Riley: ‘Don't Know If I've Seen A Worse Coaching Job’

It's been a miserable 2023 season for the USC Trojans and head coach Lincoln Riley. And as a result, the 40-year-old head coach is facing immense criticism from football commentators outside the program.

USC justifiably entered the season as a top-5 team in the country, with most fans expecting a big year from reigning Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams and a Riley-coached offense. Year 2 under a new head coach was supposed to bring with it an increase in talent, and improvement on the defensive side of the ball.

Instead, the Trojans regressed. A lot.

The defense, which finished last year 87th in ESPN's S&P+ rankings, now sits 113th. Out of 133 teams. USC gave up over 500 yards of offense to Cal, Washington, Oregon, Arizona and Colorado and 483 to Utah. The turnover margin dropped from +22 to -2, with an embarrassing -8 ratio in rivalry games against Notre Dame and UCLA.

READ: DAN MULLEN TROLLS LINCOLN RILEY AS USC GETS BLOWN OUT BY UCLA

And Paul Finebaum believes that the declining performance and 7-5 record were among the worst coaching performances in memory.

“I don’t know if I’ve seen a worse coaching job by anyone than Lincoln Riley this year," Finebaum said on The Matt Barrie Show. "It’s a complete disaster. And, quite frankly, he ‘ought to pack up. I don’t really see what his path is moving forward. Blamed everything on Alex Grinch. They haven’t been any better – they’ve been worse."

Finebaum continued, asking if Riley is a "fraud" as a head coach.

"Well maybe, Lincoln, you ‘ought to look in the mirror? Maybe you’re just a total fraud as a coach? Maybe you just lived off of a couple of Heisman winners?"

"Lincoln Riley is nowhere near the coach that we all collectively tried to make him out to be. Have you ever seen a college season ruined more than what Lincoln Riley did for Caleb Williams?"

Nov 18, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley during the second quarter against the UCLA Bruins at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jason Parkhurst-USA TODAY Sports

Should Lincoln Riley Be On The Hot Seat?

There's a lot of truth in what Finebaum says, but was Riley and USC's performance worthy of the "fraud" label?

Well yes and no.

Riley was 55-10 at Oklahoma. He won four consecutive Big 12 championships. That doesn't happen without some level of skill. "Living off of" multiple Heisman Trophy winners doesn't happen by accident either. Exceptional recruiting, development and play calling are all necessary to be in that position in the first place.

But there were also notable failings: Oklahoma's defenses were never exceptional, and his 0-3 playoff record was disappointing, to say the least.

That said, these kinds of seasons aren't that uncommon in college football, especially with the schedule USC played. With a better defense, the Trojans might have been able to salvage a 9-3 record against a tough schedule. Even with the atrocious defensive performances, they're still a top 30 team in the country when considering their offensive performance.

The shine is conclusively off Lincoln Riley as a head coach, however. There's a lot to prove, and a ton to fix. Alex Grinch was undoubtedly a problem, but there are others USC will need to address heading into the Big Ten.

Another year of this type of disappointment may be enough for Finebaum to be proven right.