Lincoln Riley did an exclusive interview with The Athletic’s Antonio Morales before Thanksgiving wherein he emphatically shot down rumors of a jump to the NFL. On the heels of a disappointing 2023 season and a thud of a finish, the college football world was wondering if Riley was long for Los Angeles.

In a sit-down interview with The L.A. Times’ Ryan Kartje this week, USC athletic director Jen Cohen put her full support behind Riley going forward.

“First of all, really disappointing year. We had big goals, and we have high expectations for us here. And that’s why we’re here. He loves the pressure of that and the expectation of that, and so do I,” Cohen told The Times. 

“So disappointing and frustrating, not just for the coaches and the players, but obviously for our fans and for our former athletes. That’s not the standard, and that’s not where we’re going. As far as Lincoln goes, I have full confidence in him. He has my full support. It’s been incredible getting a chance to work more closely with him.”

Cohen called the relationship between an AD and a football coach “absolutely essential” to the health of an athletic department.

As USC moves into the Big Ten, a flourishing football program becomes even more important. Cohen said she’s in the process of evaluating the program (and each other sport) and figuring out what needs to be done differently.

“Everything needs to be on the table, every year, in every program. Because that’s how you continue to keep up and build a plan that’s more sustainable,” she told The Times. “So, I’m just looking forward to supporting him.”

USC went 7-5 this season. After a 6-0 start, things came crashing down at the end. USC lost five of its final six games. Four of those were to ranked teams. The only win came at Cal in a 50-49 barn-burner.

The Trojans are waiting to see where they will go bowling. Riley is also still looking for a new defensive coordinator after parting ways with Alex Grinch after the loss to Washington on Nov. 4.