From Carroll to Riley: USC’s Quest to Re-Light Hollywood’s Brightest Stage
By Clint Mintzer
Everybody who knows college football knows about the University of Southern California’s football team. The Trojans are more than just a football team—they’re a symbol of Hollywood. Star athletes and big celebrities come out to watch their games, and they represent so much of what Los Angeles stands for. No two eras capture that more than Pete Carroll’s era during the early 2000s and Lincoln Riley’s era currently.
Before Carroll arrived, USC football was a shell of its former self. USC had history under legendary coaches like John McKay, who won four national championships in 1962, 1967, 1972 and 1974, and John Robinson, who won one national championship in 1978. But by the late 1990s, USC football success was non-existent and the West Coast was dead to football. The Trojans finished dead last in 2000 and couldn’t find a coach to save them—until they took a gamble on Pete Carroll.
When USC hired Carroll, he was not a fan favorite. He had been fired from multiple NFL jobs (with the New York Jets and New England Patriots) and USC fans doubted him from day one. But Carroll came in with a new mindset. He turned the program into a tight-knit family, being a father figure for 90 men. Coach Carroll made practice feel like game day in order to get the most out of his players. With no professional football team in Los Angeles at the time, the city started to buy into this group of 90 young men. Celebrities started showing up on the sidelines, and Snoop Dogg rapped for the team. USC football was suddenly Hollywood’s team.
Reggie Bush, former USC star running back, reflected on how Carroll blended celebrity culture with team life. He praised Carroll's ability to combine Hollywood and football.
“I always loved the fact that Pete brought the youthfulness to the team,” Bush said in a 2024 interview on the Games with Names podcast. “Snoop Dogg was at our practices, running routes with the receivers. And Will Ferrell would be out there. It was just amazing, man. Because again, I thought Pete did a masterful job at being able to bring Hollywood and football together.”
During this era, players like Bush and quarterbacks Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart became campus legends. Palmer won the Heisman in 2002, Leinart in 2004, and Bush in 2005. Carroll's teams were dominant: USC won 80% of its games from 2001–2009, and 6 out of 7 bowl games. The 2004 season was especially special: blowout wins, a national championship, and a Heisman—USC looked unstoppable.
By 2005, USC was chasing something no team had ever done before: a third straight national championship. But quarterback Vince Young and the Texas Longhorns stopped history, beating USC 41–38 in the national championship. Even now, no college team has won three straight national titles.
With all the attention, people started looking deeper into Bush’s story. It was discovered that Bush’s family had been living rent-free in a home paid for by a sports agent. At the time—before NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) rules—college athletes weren’t allowed to receive money or gifts beyond scholarships. USC was forced to vacate wins from 2004 and 2005, and Bush gave up his Heisman Trophy (though he got it back in 2024). Seeing the storm coming, Carroll left USC in 2010, taking a head coaching job with the Seattle Seahawks, where he won a Super Bowl. After Carroll’s exit, USC’s dynasty faded.
Fast forward to today: USC hires Lincoln Riley to bring back that same magic. Just like Carroll, Riley arrived when USC needed saving. Though USC had some decent seasons, their spark was gone. But with Riley, everything changed.
Riley wasn’t a fired NFL coach—he was the hottest name in college football, known for explosive offenses and quarterback development. He had coached Jalen Hurts (now a Super Bowl MVP), Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray, and Caleb Williams. All won the Heisman. All reached the NFL.
“Do you know what he gives this quarterback? Answers and options… Lincoln Riley does this as good or better than anybody,” said Joel Klatt on Fox Sports.
Riley’s philosophy mirrors Carroll’s: high energy, trust in players, and a vision to make USC the mecca of college football. Just like Carroll, Riley is using Hollywood to recruit talent, encouraging players to leverage LA’s spotlight. But the pressure is intense—every USC loss is amplified in a market that expects not just wins, but championships.
Carroll restored USC’s pride with swagger, star power, and unforgettable Saturdays. Now it’s up to Riley to do it again—and prove that the magic wasn’t just a one-time show, but a legacy that can light up LA for generations to come.