Paul Finebaum just said what every Oklahoma fan thinks about Lincoln Riley

Completely unprompted, SEC football analyst Paul Finebaum absolutely ripped into former Oklahoma football coach Lincoln Riley, who's now at USC.

There's no context needed for this quote. Finebaum was a guest on the "Dari Nowkhah Show" on KREF and at the end of the segment said he had one more thing to say before he had to go, and then he just went off on Riley in a rant that every OU fan would also scream into a mic if they were a guest on a radio show.

"I can't think of anybody whose coaching has been more fraudulent since his first year with Caleb Williams," Finebaum said. "And I say that as somebody who admired what Lincoln Riley did at OU. I didn't admire the way he left. I really think -- and I know a lot of people are still gnashing teeth in Norman and Oklahoma City and across that state -- but I frankly believe that Sooner Nation is better off today than it would've been had he stayed around, because there is something wrong with this guy, Dari.

"And I know we don't have time, I know we're at the end of the segment, but I did want to close on that note. I am underwhelmed. I can't think of a coach in modern time who's making the kind of money he's making who has done less."

Finebaum absolutely rips Lincoln Riley

Riley spent two seasons as OU's offensive coordinator under Bob Stoops before taking over as head coach in 2017 for five seasons. Knowing an SEC schedule was looming in a few years, Riley fled for USC in the middle of the night in 2021, took his star quarterback with him and has struggled in Los Angeles ever since.

After that move, there might not be a more hated person among Sooner Nation than Lincoln Riley.

Riley enters the 2025 season on the hot seat. Although he cowardly escaped the SEC, he was still thrown into the Big Ten last year with USC's move. The Trojans went 7-6 while enduring their first Big Ten slate. But even with a Pac-12 cakewalk in two of three seasons, USC is still just 26-14 under Riley. The Trojans have gotten worse every season with Riley in charge.

Finebaum still believes OU is better off without Riley even after a lackluster 6-7 season in the Sooners' first year in the SEC. However, Riley hasn't even sniffed the competition OU is facing now, so his record would likely be even worse if he stayed in Norman.

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