866-495-5172 Already a member? Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, USC hires Lincoln Riley: Complete coverage of Trojans shocking coaching move, extended this week all the way to the state Senate, Lincoln Riley jetted for USC, and Oklahoma is left to furiously wonder why, Breaking down the USC roster Lincoln Riley inherits, Rileys arrival signifies a triumphant return, USC football coaches: Glory and gaffes, from Gloomy Gus to Lincoln Riley, Roundtable: Our March Madness projections for UCLA, USC and others. Hes going to kind of do everything.. 2023 www.oklahoman.com. For a routine follow-up, Riley mentored Alabama transfer Jalen Hurts during his graduate transfer season, and Hurts is now the starter for the Philadelphia Eagles. Riley is a Muleshoe native who played quarterback and defensive end for the Mules football team in the late 1990s and early 2000s. And then there are the obligatory obits about friends and neighbors. Thats something they never felt in Norman, where fans would recognize Rileys wife, Caitlin, at the grocery store and knew their daughters names. "He loved the job and was used to working for nothing.". He was a computer on legs. A rocket scientist. It shaped who I am, Riley says. After two seasons as the Head Football Coach/Athletic Director at Muleshoe High School, Lee Walker has been reassigned. The hustle and bustle is happening at the livestock auction down the highway, where sheep and hogs and goats are being sold at a breakneck pace. 2023 www.lubbockonline.com. the after-school healthy snack program would be? "He wasn't a blue-chip athlete," Wood said. "The value of hard work - I think the community has always been built on that. 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. Call. The next year he was hired on at Oklahoma as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach under the nationally-renowned Bob Stoops. "Oh, no doubt," Wood said Thursday night. Over the years, some of the town's better players tended to migrate to more stable programs up in Nazareth or down in Sudan or out in Farwell. Life is too short, so dont be afraid to go for it., USC coach Lincoln Riley on leaving his small hometown of Muleshoe, Texas. They were some complex plays as complex as you can be at 11.. Wes Wood has hit the ground running, already meeting with the coaching staff and some of his new players. Wood said he has no plans to coach in the future. Following the 2016 season, he was appointed Bob Stoops' successor, and he guided the team to the 2017 Rose Bowl and a #2 position in the College Football Playoffs. Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley has agreed to become the next USC football coach. He felt that it was a good opportunity for him. Donnie always made sure to see them a couple of times a year, said Big 12 associate commissioner John Underwood, a close friend of Duncans. Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley watches the Sooners play Iowa State on Nov. 20. Notice something in common about the starting quarterbacks for Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State and Georgia entering this year? Aaron Simon, an Angelo State University graduate whos been coaching with Richards for the past nine years, will be the Mules offensive line and associate head coach, while Portales, New Mexico native Chris Mosier the step-brother of former Mule standout receiver Kyle Atwood was hired as the offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach. "He knew all the progressions. Muleshoe Mules Class: 3A Division I DCTF High School Ranking: NR Location: Muleshoe, Texas 2022 District 2-3A Division I Standings Team District Record Overall Record Next Opponent Shallowater Mustangs 4 - 0 10 - 2 Idle Bushland Falcons 3 - 1 11 - 2 Idle Muleshoe Mules 2 - 2 8 - 4 Idle Dalhart Wolves 1 - 3 5 - 6 Idle Riley also played basketball, baseball and ran track during his youth and high school days, but it was football that piqued his interest. ", And so, Wood said, he hitched his career to, "Lincoln helped me get established and stay here," Wood said as he prepared for his 22nd season at the school. Los Angeles, on the other hand that felt like a world apart from Muleshoe. The first quarterback Riley ever coached was none other than USC offensive coordinator Graham Harrell. Hes the young man who helped his alma mater install the spread offense, which led the Mules to a 2008 state championship. The rapid rise of Lincoln Riley, from small-town quarterback to one of the most promising football minds in America, is rooted deep in this arid soil. Here in Muleshoe, the stunning news of Rileys sudden departure to USC late last month was greeted mostly with sideways glances. I am a Haskell Indian Nations University graduate. Plus, he has the trust of his predecessor. After all, Muletrain isn't 60 Minutes. Conventional wisdom would say that you guys have been smallish-town people. From Muleshoe to Clemson, Riley carries on the principles of Mike. Watch the latest highlight videos for the Muleshoe Varsity Football team You can also view his personality page at newsok.com/berrytramel. Hes just an athletic big kid. 12 and led the Mules to a state semifinal finish his senior season. Riley has surpassed actor Lee Horsley as Muleshoe's most famous son. He just had natural instincts.". Please subscribe to keep reading. Back in the early 1980s, Horsley starred on television as Texas oilman Matt Houston, who doubled as a private investigator. Still, Lincoln Riley grew up loving the Mules and football, in general. That number barely fields a varsity team. When Riley was a freshman, the Mules won 10, including a playoff game. No matter how savvy the journalist, the decision to eliminate one of the town's two traffic lights has a newsy shelf life. Cheerleading Sponsor Cheyanne Cage. Following the 2009 season, he left his position as the Red Raiders wide receivers coach to become offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at East Carolina under head coach Ruffin McNeill. Few believed it at first. Which brings us to our next topic . Riley is already having huge success recruiting Southern California. Editor's note: This story was originally published on August 10, 2017. Lincoln and I had many thoughts he prepared us that way. "Weather here is always important because this is an agricultural community," said Rennels, 74, sounding every bit a schoolmarm lecturing a student just off the turnip truck. It was a Sunday afternoon game decided by a Hail Mary on the final play. Muleshoe ultimately fell short in the state semifinals, losing handily to Forney High, a much larger school, 41-17. That includes a winless 2019 season and missing the playoffs the past two years. Muleshoe, which would become the seat of Bailey County, then was just a few houses, a school and a cemetery. Muleshoe coach Jason Richards discusses the touchdown run that sparked the Mules 39-37 comeback win over Brownfield on Friday night. What had been done was history or tradition or how theyd always done it, but it wasnt working. I just wanted to build on people that wanted to be in Muleshoe and want to get things going again.. Oklahoma, where Memorial Stadium could hold 17 times the population of Muleshoe. In 1996, David Wood inherited a Muleshoe program that hadn't posted a winning record in 13 years. Maybe even an astronaut. The biggest story in town history, she said, has to be the dedication of the National Mule Memorial, constructed in homage to the animal that was once farming's beast of burden. He was a sponge. 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. The town would never forget. Football offered a nice escape. Which brings us to our next topic . Thats coming from a program last year (where) we had a sophomore that just got offers from OU, OSU and Texas A&M, Richards said of Flour Bluff offensive guard Johnny Dickson. Richards comes to Muleshoe from Flour Bluff High School in Corpus Christi, where he served as offensive coordinator. USC coach Lincoln Riley remains a celebrated figure in the Muleshoe High football program. Alcohol sales were first allowed in the town just three years ago and to this day some respected folks still remain wary of setting foot inside the bar. Seemingly overnight, the Ivy League discovered Muleshoe. I would put those at the top of the list.". But truth be told, Horsley never really was an integral thread in the town's fabric. Just do what got you here, Riley said. Get the latest D-FW sports news, analysis, scores and more. Under Walkers leadership, the Mules went 1-19 over the two seasons. Flashback: Lincoln Riley's hometown thought he would work for NASA. DW Rutledge. Wood, determined to put an end to the exodus, noticed a seventh-grader playing at the junior high with "lots [of] football smarts" if not lots of blue-chip skills. Riley already has plenty of quality head-coaching experience behind him, plus a hefty new contract approved by the school last month. The new coach inherited around two dozen players, barely enough to field a full team, and the program was plagued by a lack of discipline. HomeDirectoryPhotosAboutContactAdvertise. Patience is the whole key.. "I guess probably once I started to think about going to college, I enjoyed the game so much in high school that I felt it would be part of my life some way, some how. Mike and Marilyn Riley have lived in Muleshoe all of their lives. He wanted to win in the classroom like he won on the field.". "I really . I had to explain everything to him only once. from the offensive staff at Canyon Randall. You can also view his personality page at newsok.com/berrytramel View Comments {{start_at_rate}} {{format_dollars}} {{start_price}} {{format_cents}} {{term}}, {{promotional_format_dollars}}{{promotional_price}}{{promotional_format_cents}} {{term}}, Nebraska cheerleader competes by herself at state competition, but crowd doesn't let her feel alone, Jim Inhofe looks back on his career: 'I really wanted to make a difference, and I did', State superintendent questions whether Oklahoma students should attend state colleges and universities, 'They don't make them like her anymore': Historic 1914 bungalow in The Heights restored with love, Bed Bath & Beyond to close two stores in Tulsa, Former NFL star Chad Johnson says he saved money by living inside Cincinnati Bengals stadium for 2 years, Gatesway Hot Air Balloon Festival returning after 6-year hiatus, Last day for Utica Square store is Friday, Meet the 2023 Mr. Inside/Mr. Over time, some of the Riley stories from those days have come to drift into tall tales, depending on whos telling them. He took the whip smart but physically limited quarterback aside and asked him to be a student assistant coach. One of those guys, not necessarily write things down. Lincoln is also well-known for being the Oklahoma Sooners' head football coach. CALL. 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. He brought a program and a culture to Muleshoe that hadnt been there, Riley said. Garrett Riley is taking over the Clemson offense after winning the Broyles Award as the nation's top assistant this past season. I havent been following them as much since the boys got bigger and went to different schools. 1 overall by the Cleveland Browns in last April's NFL Draft. We're very excited, Mike Riley said. He told his assistants, "We've got to keep him around. , Victor marveled at how much time the older brother spent tutoring elementary school aged Garrett on the football field. Ive always carried that with me. "I thought he was more in the realm of NASA or something like that," Wood said. He brought belief and hope. Riley, like many young coaches, has grown over the years. Others speculate he wanted nothing to do with the Southeastern Conference. Muleshoe residents gather for a livestock auction featuring sheep, hogs and goats. New USC football coach Lincoln Riley grew up in Muleshoe, Texas. Muleshoe always supports their own.. Theres an intense sense of pride. For Riley's part, Muleshoe was good to him, providing the setting for a solid upbringing, a town where a boy who would someday lead one of the nation's most famous college football programs could learn lessons that shaped him. In West Texas, Muleshoe's team was for decades a source of disappointment. "He had great math skills, intelligence and a photographic memory, stuff that you just don't see.". The Pecos and Northern Texas Railway companies laid the track here in 1913, cutting through this swath of Bailey County ranchland to connect the growing town of Lubbock to the border of New Mexico. School was. Everybody in Muleshoe's been real supportive. Success on the intramural field, spurred him to attempt to walk on to the Tech team in the spring of his freshman season. (Reyes) is a stud. In 2017, once Riley took the reins from Stoops, Mayfield won the Heisman Trophy while leading the Sooners to the College Football Playoff semifinals. A farming community sprouted alongside the track soon after some 70 miles northwest of Lubbock and 30 miles east of the border taking its name from the nearby ranch where, legend has it, the original owner found a stray muleshoe lying in the soil. Lincoln Riley's father doesn't seem to be a big talker. If youre at home, youre trying to be the best son, daughter. He holds a masters of administration in education from Sam Houston State University, and graduated cum laude with a bachelor of science in physical education from Eastern New Mexico University in Portales, where he was quarterback for the football team. Muleshoe football went from one of the worst programs in the state to one of the best. Muleshoe will always be my special village. "Last year's team had a lot of success and that was great. Riley started in the fifth grade, both officially and in backyard games with neighborhood children. Head Cross Country/Head Girls Powerlifting Coach . I said, Ruffin, Ive read all about him. But thats the kind of guy that Ruffin is. Muleshoe Journal Correspondent. Riley was on the football and track teams at Muleshoe (Tex.) Muleshoe Mules Varsity Boys Football Muleshoe, TX FOLLOW TEAM 22-23 V. Football Home Schedule Roster Stats Standings Rankings Photos Videos News More / Muleshoe High School Football Muleshoe Football OVERALL 8-4 0.67 Win % DISTRICT 2-2 3rd in District HOME5-0 AWAY3-3 NEUTRAL0-1 PF318 PA345 STREAK1L Contribute to the Team Complete the Schedule It has been assumed Harrell would move on next season, but, with the hire of his friend, it will certainly be interesting to see if Harrell remains a part of Rileys USC staff. No new houses, he says, have been built in 15 years. 877-845-6272. Hal Mumme was the head coach at McMurry University in Abilene, which is about three hours from Muleshoe. You are the OC (offensive coordinator).. And sometimes he'd double back and explain to me what I was missing.". They just didnt know how to do it.. But the rest of Muleshoe moves at a crawl. Growing up here, Ellis says, it often felt like you were insulated from the ails of the outside world. But it was no mirage. Their hearts belonged to the Longhorns until sons Lincoln and Garrett went off to college at Texas Tech. Everybody is just so proud.". (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). Lincoln has a photographic memory, and when I say that, I really mean it., David Wood, Lincoln Rileys football coach at Muleshoe High. if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[320,50],'easternnewmexiconews_com-box-2','ezslot_3',128,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-easternnewmexiconews_com-box-2-0'); Oklahoma University head football coach Lincoln Riley raises the Big 12 Championship trophy after the Sooners beat TCU 41-17 in the conference title game at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas last December. If you took somebody from San Diego, California, and you drop them in west Texas, youre taking a chance, and I wanted somebody that understood the people and wasnt going to complain about the wind and the dirt, Richards said. Marilyn, his mother who grew up on a Muleshoe farm, and his father, Mike, who came from a family that operated cotton gins among other business ventures, graduated from the University of Texas. A Muleshoe Mule is coaching the Sooners. The news first broke on Twitter by Matt Stepp on December 17 and KCBD Sports confirmed on Christmas Eve. But its what hes always wanted and anticipated. During the season, itll be harder because hell be gone before they are awake and theyll be asleep before he gets home. It may be a good thing that the show never has had a scripted length. His grandfather, Claude, was the first, leading the Mules to an undefeated season in 1938. He used to be a defensive end Lincoln Riley didnt start his Muleshoe High School playing career as a quarterback. We were huge Muleshoe fans.. Copyright 2019 KCBD. You can cancel at any time. Lincoln, theyll tell you, couldve been anything. All rights reserved. But it has come at a price. Im not a big Longhorn fan right now, thats for sure.. Harrell told The Times, Really Lincoln was the first person that taught me Mike Leachs offense. He has deep roots here. His mind was just brilliant. Wes Wood, the coachs son who led the Mules to a state title as quarterback in 2008, said that season cemented Riley as his childhood hero. Riley is a small-town guy, but clearly hes up for an adventure. We were so close in age, it became a friendship, but he was a friend I respected. One person he depended on during this time was the late Donnie Duncan, a former Oklahoma athletic director. Duncan drew close to Riley and McNeill during the Alamo Bowl and was a mentor to the pair until his death on March 12, 2016. Once he sees something, hell never forget it.. He was just brilliant. The Rennels' house on West 3rd Street is conveniently located just down from Muleshoe High, whose Friday night football games the station videotapes for continuous airings on Saturdays and Sundays. Im fired up. Lo and behold, we get there in the team meeting and Lincoln was told, Coach (Leach) isnt coaching this game and guess what? Maybe even a national title. . The Riley family came before most other fixtures in Muleshoe, settling in town in the 1930s, not long after the town was incorporated. Riley was three months shy of his 34th birthday when promoted to replace the retiring Bob Stoops. Some people dont desire to be a head coach. High, a West Texas town of 5,000. As is custom, Leal's Mexican Restaurant on West American Boulevard, is packed by noon as pickup trucks clog the dusty parking lot in the shadow of a grain elevator skyline. Never thought about it growing up, Mike Riley said. There are many friendship threads in Rileys small hometown of nearly 6,000. After three years of student coaching as an undergraduate and another as a graduate assistant, Leach, on Valentine's Day 2007, offered Riley. This is a compilation of Muleshoe high school football coach history. To Muleshoe that hadnt been there, Riley carries on the football field ``! He prepared us that way he gets home been reassigned like you were insulated from the ails the. 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Iowa state on Nov. 20 Mike and Marilyn Riley have lived in,! Longhorns until sons Lincoln and I had many thoughts he prepared us that way for being muleshoe football coach Oklahoma Sooners #.
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