HEAD COACH
74 NATIONAL AWARD WINNERS 158 ALL-AMERICANS
LISTENING TO LINCOLN
OU'S NATIONAL OFFENSIVE RANKINGS UNDER RILEY Category Total Offense Scoring Offense Passing Efficiency Passing Offense Rushing Offense 3rd Down Conversion Pct. 1st Downs Per Game
2015 2016 7 (530.2) 2 (554.8) 4 (43.5) 3 (43.9) 4 (167.6) 1 (193.8)* 17 (308.2) 12 (318.0) 23 (222.1) 18 (236.8) 29 (.436) 4 (.515) 7 (27.1) 7 (25.3)
* FBS single-season record
THE WORD ON RILEY "He's more like me than some of the other coaches we've had. Being able to relate to players, the intensity, the details. Just his game management, those things. And then I think there's just a leadership quality you recognize when players are really listening to a guy and really taking to heart what he's saying. And then go out and demonstrate it. I just felt his leadership in a lot of those areas was evident to me." — Bob Stoops, Former OU Head Coach "I am thrilled that Lincoln Riley is in position to take over as the head coach. He is widely regarded as one of the brightest minds in college football and there is no question in my mind that he is the complete package. Our program is in very good hands. Lincoln and I have a great relationship and I can't wait to embark on this new era with him." — Joe Castiglione, OU Vice President and Athletics Director "Coach Riley enjoys the complete confidence of the administration and university community. He has the talent and personal character to be a worthy successor to Coach Stoops." — David L. Boren, OU President "That's who I would have hired. Perfect fit. It doesn't surprise me. It's the right move. You couldn't hire anybody else. The guy runs the playbook, recruits the quarterbacks. He's the guy. You want someone to keep continuity. Same quarterback, same system, same recruiting." — Barry Switzer, Former OU and Dallas Cowboys Head Coach
On the University of Oklahoma: “This institution is bigger than any one person. It has traditions that stretch back far longer than I’ve been alive. I know there’s a certain standard that I need to live up to, and I plan to do everything I can to surround this program with the right people and bring in the right players in order to do just that.” On being named OU's head coach: “Coaching at Oklahoma is a dream come true for me and for my family. I am extremely grateful to President Boren, Joe Castiglione, Chairman (Clay) Bennett and the OU Board of Regents for believing in me and affording me this opportunity. I look forward to continuing the tradition of excellence that Coach (Bob) Stoops and so many others before him have instilled in this great program.” On Bob Stoops: “I’ve always been told that a coach’s job is to take someone to a place they can’t reach by themselves. Working under Coach Stoops was basically a master class in how to do that. He always understood that his job was to set the tone for everyone, from the offensive coordinator to the walk-on long snapper. And that was something that stretches well beyond football.” On being the youngest FBS head coach at 33: “I think it's about your experiences, who you've worked with and the things you've learned and taken in. And it's about your opportunities and making the most of them. A lot of people ask about that. If we're successful here, it's not going to be because I was young or I was old. It's going to be because I was the right person for it. That's the way I try to look at it.” On his 1,800-square-foot office: “Our guys know they can come in here any time. This is their office. This isn’t my office. This is the program’s office.”
On what he looks for in recruits: “One of my biggest priorities as a head coach will be recruiting the right kind of football player. I want kids whose main goal isn’t to play at OU, but to achieve things far beyond that. We aren’t looking for guys who we’re going to have to hunt down for academic appointments or workouts. As a program, we simply don’t have time for that. Height, weight and speed are all simple things to measure. They’re plainly visible. Willingness to grow? That’s trickier, but it’s the metric that is going to help OU football continue to thrive.” On his message to OU fans: “I'd just like to say it's been a great two-year run so far and I'm thrilled for this new role. I'm very thankful and appreciative for all the well-wishes and support so far. Everything we do here will always be a team effort and every part of it is important. The players are important, the coaches, the staff, the administration, and you guys are just as important as anybody to everything we do; from recruiting, to things for our current players, to game day, to our success. I know you're right there with us every step of the way and I appreciate you and I'll give you everything I have.”
THE RILEY FAMILY
"The same thing happened when I hired him at East Carolina that first year. Everybody thought he was young. You know when you know. I had no doubt he was ready, and once people get to know him and see how he conducts himself and handles himself, they'll see." — Ruffin McNeill, OU Assistant Head Coach and Former East Carolina Head Coach "He makes you feel welcome and invited and comfortable when you're around him. (And) he has the intellect to be able to communicate and talk to you whether you're the CEO of Microsoft or my 2-year-old who wants to use the silverware as drumsticks. I think that's why our players gravitate toward him." — Dennis Simmons, OU Assistant Coach "He always used to talk about, 'Prepare for where you want to be at, not where you're at.' I think everyone that's been around him isn't surprised he's a head coach right now. He always felt like a head coach to me." — Shane Carden, Former East Carolina Quarterback
SOONERSPORTS.COM
@OU_FOOTBALL
2017 OKLAHOMA FOOTBALL
75