SoonerScoop.com is doing everything we can to track the latest with Lincoln Riley and his interactions with top recruits. We have plenty of subscriber information on our premium message boards, the Crimson Corner.
We even have word that a major potential flip is in the works that could build serious momentum for Riley moving forward.
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It’s been less than 72 hours since Lincoln Riley was introduced as Oklahoma’s newest head coach. To say Riley’s life has changed is an understatement. But the 33-year old has hit the ground running ever since the University of Oklahoma was forced to throw together a press conference announcing the resignation of 18-year head coach Bob Stoops.
I reached out to Mike Houck, the University of Oklahoma Director of Strategic Communications, earlier today to try and get a feel for what life has been like for Riley since he was officially named OU’s head football coach.
“As soon as Lincoln Riley left his press conference he immediately went to speak with his current players,” said Houck. “They have been his main concern throughout this process.”
Assistant coaches and select players were in attendance during Stoops resignation and Riley’s introductory press conferences Wednesday.
Stoops tried to fast track a meeting with his players when he learned media outlets had gotten word of his impending retirement announcement. As news broke just before that meeting could take place, Riley was most concerned with their state of mind.
They were losing a coaching legend, the man who brought every one of them to Oklahoma.
“Shocked,” said quarterback Baker Mayfield when he first learned the news. “Just kind of taken aback with it being effective immediately. Coach Stoops was somebody that, while I was growing up, Oklahoma football, he was everything that encompassed that.”
You have to remember, emotions were still raw Wednesday afternoon.
“I got the chance to talk to (coach Stoops) before he had a chance to talk to the team. It was shocking. I was taken aback. It’s shocking.”
Those were emotions shared throughout the state of Oklahoma Wednesday afternoon. In fact, when I first found out, I burst into a room shortly after 9 a.m. with my radio cohorts, Curtis Fitzpatrick and Phil Inzinga.
I actually told Inzinga to leave the room and I needed to talk to Curtis alone. I didn’t trust Phil to not call his wife and to have it all on Facebook before I could get home.
Sorry Phil!
Inzinga would later tell me when I came into the room, I was literally turning white and he knew something serious was going on.
Just think how shocked Baker Mayfield felt. What a gut punch that must have been to a player who dreamed of growing up and playing for Bob Stoops.
But like everyone, the news set in and the realization of moving on became apparent. That’s what Mayfield was going through when we talked to him following the press conference.
“It’s not going to be a negative thing,” Mayfield said. “Like they said, Lincoln is more than qualified and he’s very, very able. He’s willing and capable of having success. I’m just shocked because Coach Stoops is the face of Oklahoma football and has been. It’ll be just a little bit different.”
As soon as the press conference ended, Riley was back with his team. This was a group that needed to hear from the man who would be leading them from that point forward.
And that’s where Riley’s mindset was right after his press conference.
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Riley’s next move was one that was similar to Stoops’ approach back in December of 1998. Houck confirmed that Riley spent most of that night making phone calls to recruits.
Lincoln Riley's Twitter account even documented that evening with a photo of the coach on his phone, inside his new opulent office.
Another source close to the program told me Riley has contacted over 40 recruits by telephone over the last 72 hours. That same source said the players he hasn’t been able to talk to have received texts from OU’s newest head coach.
“He has been working to reach out to everyone,” said the source.
Some of those players aren’t even going to sign with OU in 2018. Some are even younger, like former 2019 OU commitment Theo Wease Jr., who talked to our Josh McCuistion yesterday in Indianapolis during the Rivals 5-star Challenge.
“Right now they’re still my No. 1 school right now,” said Wease. “I still haven’t seen the facilities yet but I actually called coach Riley the other day when I found out the news about coach Stoops. He’s still positive and everything and just wanted to see me when I come up.”
For the Oklahoma program, Riley’s hire should be a huge boost for recruiting on the offensive side of the ball.
That’s a message that we’re already starting to hear from players like Wease.
“Nothing’s really changing for me. I feel like coach Riley is going to run the program as great as anybody else ever did.”
On the defensive side, we got a little glimpse of how those players are reacting to Riley’s hiring. Dante Stills, a 4-star defensive lineman out of Fairmont, West Virginia, wants to meet Riley in person, even though he’s already talked to OU’s newest head coach since he was hired.
“He’s a great guy. He knows what he’s doing,” said Stills. “I think he’ll do great taking his spot. I was kind of shocked he retired after 18 years. It’s kind of during spring so I was kind of like what happened? Maybe something’s up? But no one knows.”
Stills has already released a top three of West Virginia, Florida and Oklahoma.
Meeting Riley in person will play a major role in his decision after already making Oklahoma one of his top three teams.
“I’m just looking forward to meeting him in this person this summer and getting to know him a lot better,” he said.
Riley has spent every night making the rounds on the phone with recruits. My guess is if a recruit calls Riley, he’s not missing that call.
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It has been relayed to me over the last couple of days that media relations will be a major priority for Riley as head coach of Oklahoma.
Houck confirmed to me that Riley has performed over 20 radio interviews since being announced the Sooners newest head coach.
With Bob Stoops making most of the national media rounds this week, Riley will have a larger presence next week on national outlets.
But it’s very likely that Riley’s most noticeable difference in his style versus Bob Stoops’ style is in his desire to promote the program through media interactions.
It’s likely fans and recruits will hear more information than ever about the inner workings of the OU football program.
I have received no information up to this point about Riley’s views on practices. Bob Stoops shut down nearly all public access to practices or scrimmages after Sam Bradford beat out Keith Nichol for the starting quarterback job in 2007.
It will be interesting to see if Riley is willing to put on events such as Friday Night Lights practices that have become so prevalent across the region.
But between being around for his current players, long hours on the phones with potential recruits and media responsibilities, Riley has spent his last 72 hours doing everything he can to get his message out to the masses.
He’s already making an impact on the recruiting trail as Josh McCuistion has been reporting over the past couple of days.
What Riley really needs is to reel in a big fish or flip a commitment and set the tone for this 2018 class, which now has an opportunity to gain some serious momentum judging by how hard he’s hit the recruiting trail since being named head coach.
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SoonerScoop.com is doing everything we can to track the latest with Lincoln Riley and his interactions with top recruits. We have plenty of subscriber information on our premium message boards, the Crimson Corner.
We even have word that a major potential flip is in the works that could build serious momentum for Riley moving forward.
If you aren't a subscriber to SoonerScoop.com we have a special offer for you.
If you sign up for a year, we'll give you almost six more month of access until January 1, 2019 FOR FREE!
If you just want to try us out, you can pay for a month of SoonerScoop.com and get access all the way up to the start of the season. That means you'll get our full coverage of fall camp FOR FREE!
New users can sign up for our special offer using the PROMO CODE: OUAFTERSTOOPS
Past user can sign up for our special offer using this line and the PROMO CODE: OUAFTERSTOOPS
