Lincoln Riley illness ignites plan to have Dennis Simmons as head coach, Kliff Kingsbury as assistant — and everyone’s talking

This feels like a Russian novel, but it’s happening at USC.

This USC football season has become very soap-operatic this week. The successful, hotshot head coach suddenly loses two games, and the optimism of September turns into late-October misery and failure. The coach gets sick and is confined to resting at home under doctor’s orders. A succession plan is created to put an acting head coach in place.

Other coaches are being elevated to higher positions, all while rumors swirl about the job security of this coaching staff and the future of the program, one year before it moves to another conference in another part of the country.

We’re not making up this plot line. It’s all real. Antonio Morales of The Athletic unpacked these details about Lincoln Riley, USC assistant coach Dennis Simmons and offensive analyst/consultant Kliff Kingsbury.

They’re all involved in this drama, and as you can easily imagine, fans are talking. Everyone is talking. The Trojans aren’t winning big football games, but following USC football is never boring.

Here are the things you need to know, followed by reactions to these eye-grabbing events: