Oklahoma insider Kegan Reneau described in vivid detail the high-stakes poker involved in Lincoln Riley’s ultimate exit from Oklahoma. He started with a note about Bob Stoops.
“Bob’s role is certainly so interesting in this,” Reneau said. “Bob held Oklahoma hostage as well with Florida back in the day. If you’re looking for the non-Oklahoma fan perspective, right? The outside national perspective was that Bob was really contemplating taking that Florida job. You look back at it. It was sort of the same thing. Oklahoma was having a lot of success. The Florida job opened up. Florida has a ton of resources. If you’re looking at it from an agent perspective, that’s a great situation. If you have things that you want to get done, that’s called leverage. Bob came from an interesting perspective there.
“I think Oklahoma said a lot of stuff. I think Lincoln Riley said a lot of stuff. I think Lincoln Riley put his hand on the table and Joe Castiglione (the Oklahoma athletic director) called his bluff and Lincoln won the hand. Lincoln left and that’s how things really ended there. I don’t think Joe Castiglione ever thought Lincoln was actually leaving. I truly believe that.”
Riley now comes to Los Angeles, where the high-stakes poker will be more on the field and the recruiting trail than in a tense standoff with his athletic director.
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