This week marks Big Ten Media Days in Chicago. On Tuesday, USC head coach Lincoln Riley took to the podium for his first press conference of the 2026 season.
One of the questions that Riley was asked was regarding new special teams coordinator and linebackers coach Mike Ekeler. Based on his answer, Riley certainly seems very excited to have Ekeler in Los Angeles.
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“Coach Ekeler was a great addition,” Riley said. “Somebody whose career I followed. We’ve worked either with or for several of the same people. I feel like I knew him pretty well.
“He has a special teams track record that is up there in terms of any other coordinator in the country. Yeah, his energy, his attention to detail, I think his emphasis on the fundamentals and how he teaches that is very unique.
“It was just something that fit for our program, from our special teams fit, from him also being involved in coaching our linebackers. I think it was a huge addition for us.”
Ekeler spent the 2025 season as the special teams coach at Nebraska. Prior to that, he spent four seasons coaching both special teams and outside linebackers at Tennessee. Now, he is back at USC, where he previously served as the linebackers coach under Lane Kiffin (and later under interim coaches Ed Orgeron and Clay Helton) back in 2013.
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This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: Lincoln Riley discusses new USC special teams coordinator Mike Ekeler
