It was three years ago this week (June 7, 2017) when Oklahoma officially handed the keys to Lincoln Riley to drive the Sooners football bus.
All this week, SoonerScoop.com is going to be a reflection of ‘Riley at 3 years,’ highlighting some of his important moments on and off the field and what’s to come in year No. 4 and beyond.
Riley at 3 years – Then vs. Now
No, really, what is going on? Mid-afternoon June 7, 2017, and OU was holding its elite one-day camp for recruits of all ages at the Everest Indoor Center.
Offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley was there. All other assistants were present. No sign, not one, of head coach Bob Stoops.
And then the shockwave.
The news spread like wildfire during the camp that Stoops was stepping down after 18 seasons of running the show in Norman. Taking his place? The 33-year-old Riley.
What?
A joint press conference was held with Stoops and Riley in one heck of a surreal environment but one that let you know this was indeed legitimate.
“The Bible says, ‘To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.’ I’m grateful for this season of my life, and feel I’ve fulfilled my purpose here at OU as its head football coach.”
And with those parting words, Stoops walked away and let Riley usher in a new era of OU football. Was it health reasons? No. Was the NCAA about to drop the hammer on the Sooners? Ha, no. But, yes, Stoops was out and Riley was in.
“To coach and his family — shoot,” said Riley, who then paused for about 30 seconds. “He gave me a chance a few years ago that I’ll never forget. His guidance has been incredible, and to be the guy to take over for him is an incredible honor. So thank you.”
Riley had been the architect of making the OU offense a national powerhouse once again during the 2015 and 2016 seasons. Being an effective offensive coordinator is one thing, leading a blueblood program as your first gig as a head coach is another.
Stoops saw something in Riley, even at his young age. The OU leadership was behind him all the way, and it was time for the journey to start.
“When I think of Lincoln Riley, and I observe him in action, I can only, in many ways, have memories of Bob Stoops at the same age and same position in his career,” said former president David Boren. “I see so many similarities.
“We could not be happier about our new head football coach, Lincoln Riley. He is a person that shares our values and shares our philosophies, and I think he will be an incredible fit at the University of Oklahoma.
“So I make the same prediction that I made when Bob Stoops came here, that we’re getting ready to start another era of greatness for the University of Oklahoma.”
Era of greatness? You decide. Here’s what Riley’s resume looks like after three seasons calling the shots at OU.
*36-6 record (13-1 road)
*3 Big 12 championships
*3 College Football Playoff appearances
*2 Heisman Trophy winners (15 individual award winners)
*2 No. 1 overall NFL Draft picks
*5 first-round NFL Draft picks (16 overall)
*Heisman Trophy runner-up
There’s a little bit of Stoops, for sure. But as Riley has spent more time leading the program, he has been putting his stamp on things.
It’s his show, and he knows where he wants to go.
“First of all, if someone said it was Bob Stoops 2.0, I would take that as an ultimate compliment,” said Riley last week. “There’s certainly a lot of parts of our program that, you’re exactly right, carried over in some form or fashion (from the way) that Bob ran his program for a long time.
“How I’ve most grown, I think the beginning for me mine was so different, especially with so much of the staff in place. I think in the first year the only people I hired I think were Ruffin (McNeill) and Annie (Hanson). I think the majority of our staff was in place.
“I think as we’ve had staff changes through the years, we get a chance to kind of start to put together from a whole vision of what you really believe, which is more what the traditional head coaching jobs are.”
The initial three years have taught him a lot. The expectations on the field haven’t dipped one bit, and Riley hasn’t shied away from that. Off the field, the conversations are deeper and more personal than ever before in terms of social justice, creating your own brand, and as OU said during last signing period, #DareToBeDifferent.
For as much as Riley has seen in the last three years, he knows there’s still a whole lot more to encounter that he won’t back away from.
“I think me personally, nothing much surprises me anymore,” said Riley last week. “I’ve tried to become a better communicator with our guys. I’ve tried to be, I think each year you have to challenge yourself to find ways to get better. I still feel challenged each and every day, each and every year.”
So yea, that’s the first three years. The OU train has continued rolling. Assistant coaches have come and gone, and the Sooners continue to try to put all the right pieces together to make a run for championship No. 8.
“As a young guy, as a coach, when you decide you're going to do this, these are things you just dream about," said Riley in June 2017. “I feel like I'm honestly living a dream right now.”
A dream with no foreseeable ending right now.
