The metaphor feels virtually too apparent, the iron-and-brick facade of a half-finished, $200-million soccer palace looming over Howard Jones Subject. A refrain of building tools cuts via the chaos of a preseason soccer apply, the entire scene a reminder that USC, in 12 months 4 of the Lincoln Riley period, is constructing towards one thing.
The place USC’s soccer program stands in that constructing course of is a little more sophisticated to seize. After successful 11 video games in Riley’s first season as USC’s coach, the Trojans’ win complete has declined in every of the 2 seasons since. Riley, via 40 video games at USC, now has one fewer win (26) than his predecessor, Clay Helton (27), did on the identical level throughout their tenures.
However in current months, a groundswell of momentum has been constructing at USC. Throughout the offseason, the Trojans retained top-tier defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn despite severe advances from his alma mater, Penn State. They added a rising star normally supervisor Chad Bowden, who has been an adrenaline shot to your complete program. They surged to the highest of the recruiting rankings for the category of 2026 and eventually started setting the tempo within the NIL area, the place they as soon as lagged far behind different packages of their stature.
The one urgent questions now for USC, it appears, are on the sphere. Whilst enthusiasm builds for 2026 , when the soccer facility will open and the highest recruiting class lands, the upcoming season is a essential one for Riley. A 3rd consecutive disappointing marketing campaign would drive USC to face some uncomfortable truths, a few of which the varsity can’t afford to confront.
“I simply really feel nice in regards to the progress that’s been made,” USC athletic director Jennifer Cohen advised The Instances. “And now we’re now ready the place our expectations are excessive. Everyone knows what they’re and that’s to win.”
The Instances spoke to Cohen forward of the Trojans’ season opener towards Missouri State to debate that progress and the expectations that include it, for Riley and this system.
The next dialog has been edited for size and readability.
The place would you say the soccer program stands proper now?
“We’ve seen an incredible quantity of momentum, specifically this offseason, with a mixture of strikes and investments on the retention aspect of the coaches that we already had that had been doing a terrific job inside our program and tradition. Simply the standard of coaches total is at an all-time excessive in my view. In order that’s one large piece that’s helped with the momentum.
“The second is the entrance workplace growth and simply the hiring of [general manager] Chad [Bowden]. Chad with the ability to restructure his staff and in addition restructure how all of our coaches work, how he helps Lincoln, how he helps the assistant coaches — he’s extra than simply someone that’s creating a roster. He’s actually a tradition man, and he’s been a terrific associate for Lincoln and the employees in soccer, however he’s actually been a terrific associate for all of us, and he’s executed a variety of bridging of relationships, each internally and externally. And prime of all that, clearly, we’ve seen the particular momentum of their talent set from a recruiting standpoint coming to fruition on this ‘26 class.
“In order that’s enormous progress and has actually moved us in a path that we actually wanted to go in. The power funding has clearly been thrilling. Watching Bloom develop that rapidly and the actual fact these guys know now that it’s actual they usually’re gonna be in it this time subsequent yr, I believe that’ll assist us from a retention standpoint. We’ve made a lot progress this previous yr in NIL and the way we put money into our scholar athletes in soccer, after which clearly being on this new period now the place we’re entered into NIL agreements immediately with college students, I simply really feel nice in regards to the progress that’s been made, and now we’re ready the place our expectations are excessive. Everyone knows what they’re, and that’s to win.”
USC soccer normal supervisor Chad Bowden, left, speaks with coach Lincoln Riley throughout a staff apply.
(USC Athletics)
We’re coming into 12 months 4 with Lincoln Riley. In every of these seasons since he’s been right here, his win-loss report has declined. What’s your confidence stage with him as coach as we begin the season?
“We’re each aligned on the expectations that we’ve, and that’s to win. And Lincoln is aware of that. I do know that. that. Our followers — everyone is aware of it. I’d simply say we’re actually embracing these expectations collectively. I really feel actually good in regards to the assist and the infrastructure and the sources that he’s been supplied. I do know he’s energized by it. He’s motivated by it, and there’s no person that wishes to succeed greater than Lincoln. I’m actually excited for us to get behind him and the blokes and the employees and see these outcomes.”
What kind of tangible outcomes do you could see from Lincoln and this system to take care of that confidence?
“The entire concept right here, proper, is that we’re going to win. Our aim and our commonplace right here is that we win championships. That’s what we’re working in direction of, and that’s what we’ve invested in, and that’s what my expectation is, his expectation is, our collective expectation is as a Trojan household. We haven’t even performed a recreation but. My focus proper now’s on supporting him, supporting our coaches, supporting our scholar athletes and actually simply transferring this program ahead — transferring this complete athletic division ahead. This can be a utterly totally different period that we’re in, and we’re laser centered. And I’m laser-focused on pulling each lever that I can and we are able to for this program to succeed and for all of our packages to succeed.”
