Lincoln Riley is operating differently. While most head coaches are focused on depth charts and chasing portal upgrades, he has been busy reshuffling USC’s coaching directory. On February 12, he promoted former NFL veteran AJ Howard as OLB coach, his third defensive addition. And now, he’s making a change on the offensive side. 

On3 reported that USC has undergone a coaching change, and it’s another one internally. Riley has promoted TEs coach Chad Savage to pass game coordinator, but while he still keeps his TE and inside WRs roles, this is a direct investment in QB Jayden Maiava’s future as he enters his third year with Lincoln Riley. Continuity matters, but the head coach’s previous comments showed concern. 

“One of Jayden’s biggest challenges this year is that we’ll be very different in the wide receiver room and the tight end room,” he said. “Getting in sync with those guys will be a big, big part of it.” 

That’s one reason why this promotion happened. Chad Savage is a coaching genius and has worked closely with USC TEs in 2025 after coaching WRs at Colorado State from 2022 to 2024. Since his arrival in L.A., the Trojans’ passing offense last season saw 280 completions out of 480 attempts with just 10 interceptions for 3,848 yards and 26 TDs, outpacing opponents by more than 1,100 yards through the air. So if you’re Lincoln Riley, why wouldn’t you double down?

Jayden Maiava is already a force in himself. In 2025, he appeared in 13 games, led USC to a 9-4 season with 24 TDs, and won Lincoln Riley’s favor. 

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“He grew up so much during the offseason a year ago,” he said. “It’s almost like watching two completely different people. I just feel like this guy’s got a huge ceiling. I feel like he can make another jump, just like that.”

If that jump happens, Chad Savage’s fingerprints will be all over it. But the TE room tells you even more. Lake McRee became Jayden Maiava’s safety blanket in his first fully healthy season, hauling in 30 catches for 450 yards and four TDs. Behind him, Walker Lyons has developed steadily. And if that wasn’t enough, Savage has also been a recruiting force.

5-star ATH Xavier Sabb, the No. 20 overall recruit and No. 1 athlete in the 2027 class per Rivals, pointed to Chad Savage as a key reason why he has USC in his top 10. He was also the primary recruiter for 5-star signee Mark Bowman and helped build a 2026 class that ranks No. 1 nationally per On3. So why all this movement? Lincoln Riley answered that in December. 

“It really doesn’t matter what team you are,” he said. “It doesn’t matter what staff you are. Doesn’t matter what your postseason situation is like… We’ve been through this now for a few years. So you can’t always predict everything that’s going to happen, but this time of year, you have to be ready to adjust. It’s just the nature of the game.” 

And it’s that mindset that showed up during the defensive carousel.

Lincoln Riley faces defensive turnover and reload

Lincoln Riley’s biggest hit came when DL coach Eric Henderson left for the Washington Commanders after finishing as 247Sports’ top-ranked recruiter. USC wanted to keep him, but once the head coach decided to go outside the building for a coordinator, he chose the NFL. 

The Trojans responded quickly on defense by hiring Gary Patterson as DC, replacing D’Anton Lynn, who left for Penn State. He then promoted defensive analyst Skyler Jones to DT coach, who will work alongside DE coach Shaun Nua. Earlier, Lincoln Riley brought in Howard, whose work at Appalachian State helped true freshman Nate Johnson post 7.5 sacks and 8.5 TFLs. He also added former Nebraska assistant Mike Ekeler as LBs coach and brought in Noah Knoell as a special teams assistant.

With all these coaching changes, Lincoln Riley isn’t sitting still. He’s betting that staff chemistry drives roster chemistry. And if 2026 is going to be a statement year for USC, it starts with the people in the meeting rooms, not just the players.