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RGIII names Lincoln Riley as a dark horse in Baylor's coaching search.
RGIII has officially entered the Baylor coaching search. He expressed interest in the football team’s vacant head coach position following the firing of Dave Aranda.
He also suggested the program look at a few other current head coaches around the country. Could we soon have a Robert Griffin III vs. Lincoln Riley showdown?
It’s a possibility, though a few different things would need to fall in place. First, the Bears would have to legitimately look to RGIII as a replacement option. He has no head coaching experience. He’s been in broadcast and content creation since leaving the NFL.
Secondly, USC would need to fire Lincoln Riley. Griffin explained how it could play out this offseason.
RGIII enters the Baylor coaching search.
“Yes, 100%,” he said when asked on the Dan Patrick Show about his interest in coaching the Bears. “If Baylor wants to get back to winning and have a university isn’t just respectable on the football field, but that the fans can be proud of, they need people who know what it looks like to win at Baylor.”
Griffin says that he has spoken to the school’s athletic director. He has real interest in the gig.
RGIII was Baylor’s quarterback between 2008-2011. He won the Heisman trophy as a senior while leading the Big 12 in passing touchdowns. The Bears won 10 games in his final season. Griffin was electric.
His 2011 campaign sparked a run in which the program won 10 games or more four times in five years. Unfortunately, success came to an abrupt end.
Art Briles was fired amid scandal in 2016. The Bears have won seven games or less in six of the last nine seasons. Dave Aranda entered this year on the hot seat. Baylor pulled the plug after a loss to Kansas on Saturday.
Robert Griffin III believes he can get the program back to its prime. He’s seen it done. He’s lived it. It makes him an attractive candidate.
Time will tell if his alma mater listens to the pitch. Regardless, there will be a slew of other names in Baylor’s upcoming coaching search. Griffin ID’d a few possible replacements to keep an eye on, one of whom is struggling at his current stop.
Lincoln Riley can agree to be fired.
“A dark horse would be Lincoln Riley from USC,” Griffin said when going through potential candidates. “You talk about people who know how to recruit and know how to score points in a big way, which is what Baylor fans are used to when we’re winning.”
Riley is an interesting choice. He has history in the Big 12. He can recruit nationally, particularly at quarterback, where he’s coached three Heisman trophy winners.
There is a caveat to his availability, though. USC must fire him first. Are they willing to pay a $60 million buyout?
Riley has gone 41-20 with the Trojans since taking over in 2022. His teams have largely underperformed, outside of an 11-win squad in Year 1.
USC fans have grown tired of playing second fiddle in the Big Ten, especially considering the recent rise of rival UCLA. RGIII says an amicable split is possible.
“I don’t think USC wants to pay Lincoln Riley what it has to pay him for him to leave without him having another opportunity that would offset that,” Griffin continued.
“It would be more a situation where if Lincoln Riley was interested in leaving, USC would be interested in working that out as long as some of their funds can go back to them… That would be advantageous to both parties.”
If Lincoln Riley voices his interest in and accepts the Baylor head coaching position, it can offset some of the buyout total. Contract language could help mitigate costs, similar to what we saw with James Franklin last season.
He was initially owed $48 million after being fired by Penn State. After accepting a job at Virginia Tech, that number decreased to $9 million.
Of course, should Lincoln Riley accept the job, Robert RGIII’s interest in the opening is meaningless. He would no longer be a replacement option. It seems he’s willing to concede should Riley become a legitimate candidate.