State of USC’s football program: Overhaul complete. Now comes the ‘critical’ stage
2 years, 2 months ago

State of USC’s football program: Overhaul complete. Now comes the ‘critical’ stage

LA Times  

Every aspect of Lincoln Riley’s football program, every plan, every decision, every note from every season he’s spent as a head coach is accessible from an iPad that he has at the ready. “Year 1 here,” Riley said this week, “I had over 600.” Riley spent some time poring through those notes since USC’s Cotton Bowl loss, assessing from every angle how far the team had come in his first year. “When you take over something new that also requires a complete overhaul, it’s amazing how much there is to do in the first year,” Riley said. Every little thing has to be changed and answered for.” The changes that were made helped spur a stunning turnaround as USC went from 4-8 to winning 11 games in Riley’s first season. But at times, Riley explained, the season felt like “a race you can’t ever get ahead in.” Year 2 shouldn’t require so much catching up.

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