USC coach Lincoln Riley pairs up with 23X Olympic champ Michael Phelps at Pebble beach for golf outing ft. wife Caitlin Riley

USC Trojans coach Lincoln Riley was on the field, but not for spring practice. Rather, he tried his hand at another sport alongside the company of 23-time Olympic champion Michael Phelps in California.

Riley and his wife Caitlin joined Phelps at the scenic Pebble Beach Golf Links for The Coaches Classic — a premier golf outing bringing together sports icons and coaches for a few relaxed days on the greens.

On Friday, Riley shared several photos from the golf course. The Pacific Ocean was the backdrop of Pebble Beach, alongside friends and family.

"Nothing like Pebble Beach….Great week at The Coaches Classic⛳️" he wrote in the caption.

Lincoln Riley, who is on a break from football, wore a dark brown jacket over a white T-shirt and blue pants. He posed with his wife Caitlin, who was in a denim outfit.

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Lincoln Riley shares thoughts on the evolving landscape in college football

Over the past few years, college football has continued to evolve. Players are now allowed to earn from their name, image and likeness, and it has become a medium for top-funded colleges to lure star players away.

Meanwhile, the conference realignment has also played a role. Pac-12 disintegrated this past season and USC was one of the four teams that left the conference to join the Big Ten.

While many coaches may have found it hard to come to terms with this new reality, Lincoln Riley is adjusting relatively well.

“If you love college football, then are you gonna scroll on your TV past USC-Ohio State? No, you’re not. All of these things have to start somewhere,” Riley told Always College Football. “So, is there some changes that I understand people are having a hard time coming to grips with? Sure. Again, I get it.”

“I know everybody’s got an opinion on NIL, rev share, and the settlement. I get it. There’s all that stuff. Listen, we just sat through 10 days of Big Ten meetings where that’s all we’re listening to, but despite all that, we still have one of the greatest products in the greatest sport in the world,” Riley continued.

2025 will be an important year for Lincoln Riley. He finished the 2024 season with a 7-6 record and was particularly subdued in conference games as the Trojans went 4-5 in Big Ten play. Riley aims for a bounce-back season with a new playoff seeding model in place for the upcoming season.