USC AD Mike Bohn deems Trojans’ quick turnaround under Lincoln Riley ‘special’
Ryan Kartje (LA Times) — Late last November, the night before everything changed for USC football, Mike Bohn stared out over a sea of red, empty seats spread throughout the Coliseum. What few rows were filled that Saturday night belonged primarily to Brigham Young fans, all dressed in blue and white.
It was a depressing scene, at the end of a depressing 4-8 season for USC. But in the meantime, a more promising development was playing out on a TV in the athletic director’s box, where Oklahoma State had just ousted Oklahoma from conference-title contention, opening the door for a conversation with the coach Bohn coveted most for USC’s own opening.
Twelve hours later, Lincoln Riley agreed in principle to become USC’s next coach, setting into motion one of the most stunning single-season turnarounds in recent college football history.
Twelve months after that, with USC’s first-ever bid to the College Football Playoff within reach, Bohn looked out over the same stadium during last Saturday’s win over Notre Dame in a state of awe. The stands were full. The Coliseum was rocking. The future for USC football seemed impossibly bright.
Even for the man who pulled it all off, it was hard to believe how much had changed in such a short amount of time.
“To see it all come together like that, last Saturday was really special,” Bohn said. “I mean, really, really special.”
Exactly one year since Riley’s hire, the athletic director sits on a couch in his office at Heritage Hall, heaping praise on his football coach, who has turned the Trojans from disastrous disappointment to 11-1 playoff contender, on the precipice of a Pac-12 title. Reflecting on that sudden transformation, there’s no shortage of colorful adjectives Bohn can string together over 20 minutes to describe his admiration for Riley after Year 1:
“The way he leads the program is just so beautiful.
“He’s just exceptional.
“Well beyond special.”
Who could blame Bohn for basking a bit in the afterglow after two years of turmoil leading up to that program-altering moment. USC’s athletic director had led the department through the pandemic and rebuilt its infrastructure in the process, facing plenty of criticism along the way. But his tenure at USC was bound to be defined by whomever he hired to replace Clay Helton. The pressure to deliver was staggering.
He still won’t divulge many of the meatier details of that fateful November night. But after speaking with Riley’s agent, Bohn said he went to sleep feeling optimistic. Albeit, guarded.
“Until things are final, they’re never final,” Bohn said. “I’ve been a part of some unique searches in the past, and sometimes you have surprises. You always have to guard against developments that are outside of your control.”
But there would be no need for the contingency plans Bohn and his former chief of staff, Brandon Sosna, had prepared. A Zoom call with Bohn, as well as university President Carol Folt and board chair Rick Caruso, was held early the next morning. The final pitches were made, the last details drawn.
Lincoln Riley huddles with his players on the sideline late in the game against Notre Dame on Saturday at the Coliseum. (Luis Sinco / LAT)
The next day, as USC introduced its new coach, Bohn boldly described the hire as “one of the biggest moves in the history of the game.”
“It sends a loud and powerful message to the college football world that this sleeping giant is wide awake,” he declared.
Looking back, Bohn admitted even he didn’t think USC would be awoken quite this quickly.
“Absolutely [this is what I had in mind],” Bohn said, with a smile, “but I’m not sure [I thought] Year One.”
That rapid rise, observed Bohn, is as much a product of the tone Riley has set behind the scenes. Every minor detail within the program is now treated intentionally. Bohn described a “contagious sense of everyone plowing together” within the entire athletic department, one he says was inspired by Riley.
“He is an elite master of pulling together all aspects of a college football operation to a point that I have rarely seen in this business,” Bohn said. “He’s got an incredible sense, in his gut and his heart, that never fails him associated with [making] decisions. I think that’s why he’s an elite coach and an elite leader.”
His debut season has definitely done wonders to ease the tension that once existed within USC’s frustrated fan base. Fans who once called for Bohn’s job are now eager to pat him on the back.
The tone around the Trojans is certainly different these days.
“There’s a collective sense of pride,” Bohn said. “People are genuinely feeling good about [the program], and it’s real. And I think that’s really an essential part of an elite program when you have everybody feeling that same way.”
Bohn won’t speculate much on what comes next. NFL suitors are certain to come calling for Riley soon enough. As USC prepares for the Pac-12 title game, its athletic director plans to live in the moment, like his coach.
But after seeing what could be accomplished in just one year, Bohn couldn’t be happier with where this story is headed.
“It’ll be one that people will write about for a long, long time,” Bohn said, “and I think coaches are gonna try and figure out, well, how the heck did they do that?”
latimes.com
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off topic but if you have time go watch the redeem team on Netflix. It’s a great documentary. Kobe Bryant was a different level of competitor, tireless and fearless. I’m not sure if he would have been a great coach, but I would have loved to seen it. I think he may have worn his players out, but he was also incredibly smart so maybe not. Anyway, it’s worth the watch just to hear about the Pau Gasol screen. If you don’t know about it, go look it up.
Well …..The Stadium is ready >>>>> https://twitter.com/pac12/status/1598359410559963136/photo/1 ……FIGHT ON !!!!!
Hiring Lincoln Riley was an incredible move and none of us could have ever imagined him pulling off this type of transformation. Helton was okay but he could never take this program to high level that Riley has.
I really hope the NFL doesn’t take Riley from us. We need him to stay here for a long time.
Helton < OK.
One thousand upvotes, VT. Helton 😱
Ha, now that you mention it, I should have put a thousand < signs in there instead of just one. 😅
I’m sorry, but I can’t buy the overly gratuitous “Helton was okay” label you so generously handed out, so I’ll just substitute “Helton was a nice guy” even though I couldn’t stand to see his face or listen to his lame excuses and promises on TV. It was just a bizarre world with feeble The Cat in charge of USC football. He was ridiculously overmatched against good coaches and programs, and fortunately is a much better match at GA SO, where the Eagles fly and you can go 6-6 and be a hero against lesser competition. As a final tribute… Read more »
Helton had keys to a Ferrari and drove it like a smart car.
Allen- I looked at the picture, and now my eyes hurt!
“One of the biggest moves in the history of the game. “It’ll be one that people will write about for a long, long time.” I understand completely @PN4SC, and find myself afflicted with the same eye discomfort. Then I look at a picture of Lincoln Riley wearing an SC visor, and I’m just immediately grateful that Cardinal & Gold heavy-hitters Bohn, Folt, and Caruso had the foresight to jump while the iron was hot, and nail down a top-three CFB HC in only 12 hours. As Bohn perfectly described it, “One of the biggest moves in the history of the… Read more »
Eye bleach stat Room 901!
I just want to clarify that I wasn’t saying I was happy with Helton. It was a nightmare with him. I kept thinking he might figure everything out and get better and he never did.
Having Lincoln Riley re-establish us back to the level that we should be at and what I expect from when I was a student as SC is awesome.
Helton was a nice guy but should never have been the head coach at SC.
The Cat was a horrible coach at USC IMHO, just for clarification. I’ve never run into more totally disheartened USC fans in my life while he ruled USC football year after year. People would literally complain about him in the supermarket, both in the aisles and at checking. Trojan desperation under Clay grew to be the norm. I realize there are those who cut him a lot more slack than I do, and to you, I apologize, and I also understand your reasons, I think. But watching that phony glad-hander patrol the USC sidelines was nothing other than pure torture… Read more »
Helton was simply horrendous. He has no business being a head coach, at any level. And the continually lies to the media and fan base about ” looking at the film and fixing the problems” ” I can’t wait to see this team in November” ” the guys fought like warriors ” was pure horseshit and he knew it. Clay is a complete buffoon .Georgian Southern will kick him to the curb in 2-3 years.
While I totally agree that Clay Helton is a “complete buffoon” (great description), I think GA SO is a good home for him. He was born in Gainesville, Fla.
If he can win six games a year and get into a bowl with the Eagles, he’ll be set. I can’t imagine him ever getting a big job again, but lots of coaches manage to somehow fail upward in the college game. If Seven-Win Sark can be the HC at a blueblood like TEXAS after all his troubles, anything can happen. Sark’s already managed eight wins this year. Baby steps!
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I have heard it said Lincoln Riley is a savant. His genius at football is perhaps unequaled in todays coaching world. Saying something like that about a coach in his first year of rebuilding is truly a mouthful, but is of substance and absolutely true. Man, did USC hit a homer or what. I still think Sosna was the brains behind getting LR.
“He is an elite master of pulling together all aspects of a college football operation to a point that I have rarely seen in this business,” Bohn said.
His skills with the game of football are matched by his organizational skills. Unfortunately for us that means he could be a great NFL hire. Hopefully, he will want to stay awhile at USC.
I hear ya, and they will come after him. How content he is and how long he will feel that way is the concern. I just see it ever being a matter of money though.
I’m not sure if any pro coaches are making as much as LR is at the moment.