Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley answers a question during a news conference in August. Football offered a nice escape. Riley, though, doesn't see his biggest 2018 task as replacing a Heisman winner. Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley talks with his players during a game against Oklahoma State on Saturday. No matter how Riley and the Sooners fare, the 105-year-old town of Muleshoe will be proud of him. We were on the way to San Antonio and the bowl game and we were obviously thinking we were going to have our normal role at that Alamo Bowl game, said Simmons, who coached wide receivers at the time. You could see anything in the world just ahead of you. Seems that back when Riley. But it has come at a price. Before joining the Times in May 2018, he was a projects reporter at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and a 2017 Nieman Fellow at Harvard University. It's pretty much the talk of the town.. Current OU wide receivers coach Dennis Simmons, who was at Texas Tech for 10 years as a full-time assistant or support staff member, has witnessed Rileys fast trajectory as a college football coach. Under Walkers leadership, the Mules went 1-19 over the two seasons. USC coach Lincoln Riley remains a celebrated figure in the Muleshoe High football program. Getting Darrell Davis, one of Richards high school football coaches, was something both men have been talking about for 15 years and have made happen. I said, Ruffin, Ive read all about him. But thats the kind of guy that Ruffin is. 1 overall by the Cleveland Browns in last April's NFL Draft. Lo and behold, we get there in the team meeting and Lincoln was told, Coach (Leach) isnt coaching this game and guess what? "I really . How the deluge of 1938 changed Los Angeles and its river, The chance of a lifetime: Five friends ski the tallest mountain in Los Angeles. Riley is a Muleshoe native who played quarterback and defensive end for the Mules football team in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Fans are already convinced Rileys arrival signifies a triumphant return to the Trojans rightful place atop college football. 4 min read. Outside candidates. New WIC On Wheels set to travel to Bailey, other counties, Republican candidate for District 19 primary has clear leadership goals. The selection committee sorted through 112 applications and interviewed six applicants on Jan. 22 and 23 before determining that Richards would be their choice. Jeremiah Barron struggled with injuries last season, but also has the potential to be a versatile player for Muleshoe. Mike and Marilyn returned home from Austin soon after graduation and eventually took over family-owned cotton warehouses in neighboring Sudan. His youth has been a positive, especially on the recruiting trail. Copyright 2022. Its something that weve both always wanted, Caitlin Riley said. Rileys coaching success has been anchored by a spread-it-out, fast-paced attack. Makes a lot of people feel good., Wood -- who also coached Lincoln's brother, Garrett, when the Mules won the 2008 Class 2A Division I state championship with the younger Riley quarterbacking -- said he was surprised that Stoops stepped down, but didn't surprise me (OU) named Lincoln the head coach. High, a West Texas town of 5,000. We're very excited, Mike Riley said. That, of course, changed when Lincoln Riley went to Texas Tech, tried out for the football team and Mike Leach almost immediately recognized Riley's intelligence and told him to turn in his shoulder pads and become a student coach. Born in Muleshoe, he was raised and schooled primarily in Colorado. Flashback: Lincoln Riley's hometown thought he would work for NASA. School was. "But he had a really good memory, was really good at math and he was very competitive. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. "Oh, no doubt," Wood said Thursday night. "One of the greatest assets our town has is its name," Rennels said. When I hired him, Lincoln was the youngest full-time assistant in the country, but he had been with me as a student assistant and a GA for about six years and did a tremendous job, so I had no reservation about hiring him.. Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley has agreed to become the next USC football coach. Muleshoe, Texas might see it a little differently. Head coach Jason Richards hopes that preseason growth can be turned into regular-season success. Richards noted the juniors ability to play wide receiver, running back and quarterback on offense as well as defensive back on defense. But growing up, he always knew that he would leave. But that's not to say Muleshoe is a one-horse town when it comes to college-football loyalty. Soon after, Todd and Starla Ellis, who run the local funeral home, stopped by the Riley's table. In 1999, with Riley as a sophomore lineman, Wood began tinkering with a shotgun offense that called for more passing and demanded a quick-thinking triggerman. But the rest of Muleshoe moves at a crawl. The people in Muleshoe say they didn't know Riley was headed for gridiron greatness. Patience is the whole key.. While its Richards hope he can turn that around, hes made it a point to implement a program that doesnt discuss wins, but rather make sure the Mules master the things that take no talent., Having a great attitude, having great energy, being where your feet are, doing the best, he explained. First-year coach Lincoln Riley and quarterback Baker Mayfield took center stage Monday, as Oklahoma had its turn at Big 12 Media Days in Frisc. Hard-working. COURTESY/Riley family. Learn how this Muleshoe High School student is connecting with coaches in TX and nationwide. USC coach Lincoln Riley remains a celebrated figure in the Muleshoe High football program. From what I understand, Graves says, he wants to build his own program.. Richards tutored all four quarterbacks to all-district honors each of the six years he was offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. Hes well-versed on David Woods success with the Mules, which included a 2008 state championship. But Muleshoe wanted discipline, he said. "It's quite an accolade to say I was able to be a part of his life," Wood said. Over the past six years, the offense averaged 38 points per game and amassed an average of more than 400 yards per game. "School was not his primary motivation," Marilyn Riley said. Riley is a small-town guy, but clearly hes up for an adventure. For many coaches, its difficult to turn the football mind off. And maybe after a few recruiting classes keeping Southern California talent at home Riley will be in a better position to take down the goliaths of the SEC by facing them in the playoff rather than tussling with them during the entire regular season. One is USC head coach. His offense has placed five players in the top 10 for rushing yards in a season and nine players in the top 10 for receiving yards in a season. Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley yells from the sideline during a game. The next year he was hired on at Oklahoma as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach under the nationally-renowned Bob Stoops. We are very excited after a lengthy process to introduce Jason Richards and his fianc Miss Angela Scott, said Curtis Preston, president of MISD Board of Trustees. Questions? Their hearts belonged to the Longhorns until sons Lincoln and Garrett went off to college at Texas Tech. Life is too short, so dont be afraid to go for it.. Column: 15 minutes of fame flies by. "Didn't see eye-to-eye with the coach," Mike Riley said. ", 521 Pile StreetClovis, NM 88102Ph: (575) 763-3431, Powered by ROAR Online Publication Software from Lions Light Corporation He just had natural instincts.". Sure, maybe they wouldnt have chosen California as their favorite sons next step. . But its also a dream come true. You have permission to edit this article. He had a big following when he was coming through high school. Few believed it at first. Despite Muleshoes noted success, the squad hit a rough patch, winning just six games over the past three years. Of course, some weeks are slower than others in this farming town of 5,000, located 70 flat, High Plains miles northwest of Lubbock. And I think the value of honesty from my parents and in the community, those were things that people expected of you and took pride in. A Texas map on the wall of Muleshoe, Texas head football coach David Wood's office marks the location of their West Texas opponents, Tuesday, August 1, 2017. Its because he has an exceptional memory a photographic memory. "Now we are Oklahoma fans because Lincoln is closer. Mike and Marilyn Riley have lived in Muleshoe all of their lives. As a junior in 2000 he helped the Mules reach the state semifinals, where they lost to Forney at the Dallas Cowboys' old home Texas Stadium in Irving. Clovis was district and state champion in 2001. Riley's wife Caitlin is also pure West Texas, even if she's not from Muleshoe. Both sides of the family were rooted in the farming business. Some folks waited afterward to get his autograph. Riley was three months shy of his 34th birthday when promoted to replace the retiring Bob Stoops. Lincolns father, Mike, ran the familys cotton compress and warehouse in the nearby town of Sudan, putting Lincoln and his younger brother, Garrett, to work hauling bales of cotton via forklift in the hot Texas sun. 877-845-6272. Evaluate Jason Florez's football recruiting profile. Hes gonna make the Trojans a powerhouse again.. One asset he had last year that he is without this season is Mayfield, who was selected No. It didn't hurt that Riley had the services of quarterback Baker Mayfield, who won the Heisman Trophy in December. His coaching career would soon take off into the stratosphere, leading him to East Carolina, then Oklahoma and now USC, but Riley was already a star in Muleshoe. Muleshoe always supports their own.. People know each other. "It's just this year's team," he said. With a coach of Rileys pedigree now leading the Trojans, the Pac-12 is unquestionably now USCs for the taking in the coming years. Usually, you build those relationships, and youre going to have a successful program., Top Returners: Irvin Torres, Brennen Davis, Zach Hasley, Jacob Reyes, Matt Fabela. While the Sooners did not recruit as much in the Southland in Rileys first five years in Norman, theyve made camp in recent years, pulling commitments in the last year from some of the top offensive talent in the region 2022 five-star Santa Ana Mater Dei running back Raleek Brown, 2023 five-star Los Alamitos quarterback Malachi Nelson (the top quarterback in his class), 2023 five-star Los Alamitos athlete Makai Lemon and 2023 four-star Los Alamitos receiver DeAndre Moore Jr. Those players could switch their commitments to USC soon enough, and there will be more local players and coaches taking immediate notice of Riley putting down roots in Los Angeles to restore the proud tradition of the USC program. Hes the person who has a spare second for those wanting to talk to him during visits home. "It runs how long it needs to," Rennels said. He used to be a defensive end Lincoln Riley didnt start his Muleshoe High School playing career as a quarterback. 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