The first year for Lincoln Riley at USC went well despite an unfortunate ending to the season. In Year 2, the expectations are through the roof, and even more after the decision by Riley to hire Kliff Kingsbury as an offensive analyst.
Riley changed things drastically in his first season, but he admits Year 2 will look a bit different from a coaching standpoint. Having Kingsbury is a big addition (h/t Antonio Morales of The Athletic).
“I’ve tried to learn and build the staff to kind of allow me to cover all the bases I need to cover as a head coach,” Riley told Morales. “I’ve got to be whatever the program needs me to be. That’ll be a little different in Year 2 vs. Year 1. That’ll shift every year. … Having guys in different areas that you trust makes a big difference there. As staff positions have opened up, that’s what I’ve continually tried to do, is bring in people that I trust. This will be great, and on top of it, having somebody in the room that’s been a former head coach, everybody thinks they know what they like and all that until they sit in that chair. Having somebody that’s done that is invaluable.”
Kingsbury’s time with the Arizona Cardinals came to an unfortunate end, but his days at Texas Tech were terrific solely in terms of developing quarterbacks. He worked closely with Patrick Mahomes. Nonetheless, having somebody such as Kingsbury on the staff is a massive addition which should alleviate some pressure from Riley’s shoulders.
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