USC paid Lincoln Riley nearly $12 million in lackluster 2024 season
Key takeaways
- His 7-6 record at USC in 2024 would go down as the worst mark of Lincoln Riley’s career as a head football coach.
- Riley was paid more than $11.8 million in total compensation during the fiscal year 2024, according to USC’s latest federal tax returns, which were obtained by The Times.
- For Riley, his pay in 2024 marks just a slight increase from the 2023 season, when USC paid Riley more than $11.5 million in total compensation.
USC coach Lincoln Riley, watching a spring practice in March. has been among the top-paid coaches in the game, recent tax records show. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) By Ryan Kartje Staff Writer Follow June 9, 2026 3:35 PM PT 3 min Click here to listen to this article Share via Close extra sharing options Email Facebook X Linked In Threads Reddit Whats App Copy Link URL Copied! Print 0:00 0:00 1x This is read by an automated voice. Please report any issues or inconsistencies here.
His 7-6 record at USC in 2024 would go down as the worst mark of Lincoln Riley’s career as a head football coach. But in his third and rockiest year at the helm of the Trojans, Riley was still compensated like one of the kings of the sport.
Riley was paid more than $11.8 million in total compensation during the fiscal year 2024, according to USC’s latest federal tax returns, which were obtained by The Times. That total includes a $100,000 bonus and $10.4 million in base pay, believed to be more than all but three college football coaches that season: Georgia’s Kirby Smart, Clemson’s Dabo Swinney and Ohio State’s Ryan Day. All three have won a national title.