Going into Year 5 of the Lincoln Riley era, the Oklahoma Sooners are looking for a big year from the offensive guru. After four seasons, he has compiled a 45-8 record.
When it comes to head coach rankings, 247Sports recently released its top 25.
What 247 Says…
The football gods shined on the Sooners following the abrupt resignation of Bob Stoops prior to the 2017 season, sending down the perfect fit for the program in Riley. Armed with senior quarterback Baker Mayfield, Riley unexpectedly directed the ship to a Big 12 title and the first of three straight trips to the College Football Playoff. He’s 45-8 as a head coach in Norman with an offense that has produced two Heisman winners, a Heisman runner-up and record-setting team marks. Last season marked the first time in four years Oklahoma did not play in a semifinal game. The NFL wants him badly, but Oklahoma is not letting that happen. Stoops averaged a jaw-dropping 10.5 wins per season from 1999-2016 and to think Riley could better that number over extended years is really impressive. He was one of five head coaches named to our lifetime contracts list ahead of the 2019 campaign.
The native of West Texas found himself among the three best head coaches in college football along with Dabo Swinney (No. 2) and Nick Saban (No. 1). The only thing those two have that Riley doesn’t is longevity at their position and a national championship. After four years at the helm, he has the Oklahoma Sooners close but can he pull it off?
The closest Big 12 coach on the ranking to Lincoln Riley would be Iowa State’s Matt Campbell at No. 8. According to this report, Campbell recently turned down a big contract to remain with the Cyclones. For now, Campbell will try and close the gap on Riley and the Oklahoma Sooners.
Other notable names on the list including the brother of Bob Stoops, Mark coming in at No. 16 with Kentucky. Oklahoma State’s Mike Gundy joined the list at No. 19 and Gary Patterson of TCU ranked at No. 21. Former offensive coordinator Mike Leach finished the ranking at No. 25.