Joe Castiglione and the Oklahoma Sooners leadership probably didn’t expect to have to go looking for a head coach for some time when Bob Stoops handed the reins to Lincoln Riley just a few months before the start of the 2017 season.
Stoops’ retirement came as a surprise, but the Sooners giving Riley the opportunity wasn’t. He helped Oklahoma regain the offensive firepower that had carried it through the first decade of the millennium.
Five seasons later, a coaching search is underway because Lincoln Riley accepted the head coaching job with the USC Trojans.
It was a disappointing end to the 2021 season that leaves the Sooners scrambling as they look to hold onto key commitments from the 2022 and 2023 recruiting cycles.
The leadership at the University of Oklahoma is strong, and several good options are out there for Joe Castiglione and Joseph Harroz to consider. While it’s important to get someone in quickly to help with recruiting, what’s more important is finding the right person as the Sooners prepare to jump to the SEC in the next few years.
Here are several names either mentioned already or that should be under consideration for the Oklahoma Sooners.