Lincoln Riley made a whole lot of money in 2023.
According to USA Today's Steve Berkowitz, USC's federal tax returns show the school's head football coach made a little more than $11.5 million in total compensation that year. More than $10.2 million was base compensation, while he earned $100,000 as a bonus, and $1.15 million in "other reportable compensation." Riley also has a housing loan that has a balance of $3.43 million.
Riley's salary would put him among the top five coaches in the nation.
During the 2023 calendar year, USC also paid former head football coach Clay Helton $4.25 million in the form of a buyout from his firing in 2021.
Riley hasn't set the world on fire in his first three seasons at USC. The Trojans went 11-3 and made the Cotton Bowl during the 2022 campaign as quarterback Caleb Williams won the Heisman Trophy. The 2023 season was a massive disappointment as USC went 8-5 in Williams's final collegiate season. In 2024, things sagged even lower as the Trojans went 7-6 as they struggled to find consistent quarterback play.
Things are looking up heading into 2025. USC has its quarterback, along with a solid transfer and recruiting class, while also having the top recruiting class in the nation for 2026, according to 247Sports.
We'll see if Riley starts to earn his enormous salary now.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as USC Head Coach Lincoln Riley's Salary Revealed in Federal Tax Documents.
