Heading into the 2025 season both UCLA Bruins head coach DeShaun Foster and USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley had pressure to improve this season. Riley and the Trojans have the talent needed to make a big jump and become one of the premier programs in the nation. Foster and UCLA spent big on quarterback Nico Iamaleava and needed to build upon a 5-7 debut season for Foster in 2024.
USC began the season with a very strong showing in Week 1, knocking off Missouri State 73-13 while UCLA began the season with humiliation, losing 43-10 at home against Utah. The two head coaches are in different positions but their jobs could be on the line with a poor season in 2025, the Southern California Football Roundtable discussed who we believed will be at their job longer.
Matt Zemek, Editor
Who will last longer at his current school — Riley or Foster? It’s looking like Riley right now. The UCLA situation could snowball, while Riley just has to win eight games this season to be 100-percent safe for 2026. Then he will get a top-three national recruiting class and can compete for championships. I wasn’t prepared to say this before Chad Bowden came to USC, but things have changed pretty quickly at both schools.
Adam Bradford, Trojans Wire
Riley. The only thing that Foster has working in his favor is that UCLA’s administration does not care enough about football to make an immediate change. But eventually, it will get so bad that they will simply have no choice.
Micah Huff, Trojans Wire
I think Riley is the clear answer. I think this season will be the beggining year for Riley and the Trojans being a dominant Big Ten team. Riley has the 2026 class coming in next season mixed with a lot of young talent on this roster already. I think the Trojans can be up there with Ohio State and Penn State next season if not already this year.
Ryan Lorenz, UCLA Wire
Riley is probably the safer option. Foster is heading into his second year and it doesn’t look like it’s going to get much better for the Bruins this season. If they struggle against UNLV then the writing will probably be on the wall for him, whereas Riley just has to win 8 or 9 games, make a Bowl and worry about next season. All of which should be easy for him to accomplish.
Dylan McNeill, UCLA Wire
Lincoln Riley will. If you would have asked me in the preseason, I would have said Foster but I was stunned by just how bad the Bruins looked. UCLA spent big on Iamaleava and brought in Tino Sunseri to run the offense and the results were putrid. Riley brings in elite classes of recruits, there’s value in that, even if USC hasn’t reached the heights they dreamed of when they hired Riley from Oklahoma.
This article originally appeared on UCLA Wire: Roundtable — Lincoln Riley or DeShaun Foster? Who will stay at his current job longer?
Reporting by Dylan McNeill, UCLA Wire / UCLA Wire
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