The coaching carousel is already turning heads across college football, and after last weekend, USC head coach Lincoln Riley has found himself at the center of questions over whether his job will remain safe for another season or not. The rumors are moving fast, with analysts already floating potential replacements if USC decides to make a change.
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“The guy I think would be a name to watch, and this would probably be a good fit for USC, is Kalani Sitake,” Bruce Feldman said on Audible on October 1 after the question of who can replace Riley if that day comes was asked. “At thinking that Kehlani is, if you asked me, who is the polar opposite of Lincoln Riley in every way, who’s a head coach. This is the one who is most opposite to Lincoln. He is a guy who exudes toughness and physicality.”
The Trojans are at a 4-1 record right now, but with the onset of the Big 10 plays, there are many doubts floating around their campaign moving forward. As for Riley, this might be the end of his tenure with USC. The fundamental issue that can be frustrating is Riley’s 5–15 record against ranked opponents. So eventually the rumors of his departure were everywhere.
Feldman had a simple and clear choice: Sitake to take over USC, and why, you may ask? As the head coach of the BYU Cougars since 2016, he has established a reputation as the ultimate “players’ coach.” Alongside, he has guided BYU through a successful transition into the Big 12. It is highly unlikely he will ever leave BYU to coach at USC, but if a possibility arises and it actually does happen, he might be able to fix the loopholes at USC.
Sitake has a very fresh and loving culture in his locker room. He interacts with his players not just about the games but also about their personal lives. He keeps players engaged by rotating meetings and frequently hosting Thursday team karaoke sessions to break down emotional barriers and build genuine comfort among teammates. While his culture gets heavy praise, Sitake is sharp tactically. He led BYU to a spectacular 12-win season.
“His teams always play hard and physically, and you feel them when you’re on the field, when you’re at field level,” Feldman added. “The other thing about him is he is like this cool dichotomy where he is like a really warm and engaging beloved figure. And all of that other stuff is kind of where I feel like Lincoln ends up turning people off.”
Riley hasn’t been able to pull off a decent culture at USC so far. After the Desman Stephens penalty hit towards Dante Moore, it raised heavy criticism towards the program. Many people noticed that Riley’s player was celebrating while Moore was unconscious and wheeled out of the field. The part that was more frustrating was that Riley did not intervene during the game.
Sitake wasn’t the only recommendation by Feldman; another name came up, which is surprisingly that of the new head coach of Alabama, Kalen DeBoer.
“I think we’ve all assumed if and when this day comes that the first call would be to the coach whom she hired at Washington, Kalen DeBoer,” Feldman said while adding DeBoer to his list. “I would contend that he has a better job where he is at in Alabama. But I also recognise that you might want to get out of a place where you are just like always one loss away from everybody wanting to fire you. The expectations are not quite that out of whack at USC.”
Kalen DeBoer took over Alabama after Nick Saban spent 17 seasons leaving his mark on the fans. Succeeding the legendary Saban, who captured six national titles in Tuscaloosa, means DeBoer is measured by a standard where simply winning games is never enough. He went 9–4 in 2024 and improved to 11–4 in 2025.
Despite heavy preseason “hot seat” chatter, DeBoer has silenced the noise through the first month of the 2026 campaign. The Crimson Tide is off to a dominant 4–0 start with a 2–0 SEC record. In April, the school rewarded him with a massive seven-year, $87.5 million contract extension running through 2033. So even if he isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, only time will tell if he will give in to the pressure or not.