He has other big ideas to move Muleshoe forward. 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. "Oh, no doubt," Wood said Thursday night. When Leach abruptly lost his job before the 2009 season ended, Riley was asked to call plays in the Alamo Bowl against Michigan State by Red Raiders interim head coach Ruffin McNeill. Riley is a Muleshoe native who played quarterback and defensive end for the Mules football team in the late 1990s and early 2000s. A newspaper article from the Clovis News Journal about USC coach Lincoln Riley during his high school days is on display at his parents home in Muleshoe, Texas. quarterback, led the Mules 400 miles to a Class 3A state semifinal game at Texas Stadium in Irving. Honest, hard-working people. McNeill, who accepted the head coaching position at East Carolina, hired Riley to be his offensive coordinator. All rights reserved. Some speculate the injury mightve changed his trajectory, but the next season, Riley led Muleshoe to new heights as its quarterback anyway. "It was a great place to grow up," Riley said on Wednesday afternoon during a telephone interview with The Eastern New Mexico News. The Red Raiders beat Michigan State 41-31 on that day. He wasnt afraid to change things up, to do things different from what had been done there. Watch film with intensity, remember so much about the film, most kids would not remember. Richards grew up in Clovis, where he was quarterback/defensive back for the high school from 1999-2001. Theres no shortage of small-town sleuths here still wondering aloud why Riley up and left the Sooners seemingly overnight. His grandfather, Claude, was the first, leading the Mules to an undefeated season in 1938. Yet, with the aplomb of a seasoned coaching veteran, he guided Oklahoma to a Big 12 championship and a spot in the College Football Playoff. (An even smaller coincidence my step dad and Riley are apparently distant, distant cousins). Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley stands on the sidelines during a game against Baylor on Nov. 13. He took Baker Mayfield, a former walk-on transfer from Texas Tech, and turned him into one of the most prolific passers in the country. The Mules won one game in Woods first season, then five the next, giving Muleshoe its first non-losing season in two decades. Annie Rice/Avalanche-Journal Muleshoe's head football coach Jason Richards reacts to water being poured on him after the team's win against Brownfield in a bi-district playoff football. "But he was the kind of athlete you wanted running the show. He was a walk-on quarterback at Texas Tech in the spring and summer of 2003 before starting his coaching career as a student assistant there under head coach Mike Leach for three seasons (2003-05), working with the offense. We just saw even at a young age he was pretty special for a 3A school, Wood said. "Everybody knew everybody. Muleshoe coach Jason Richards discusses the touchdown run that sparked comeback. I wish I could have recorded Lincoln with how smooth, precise and decisive he was on that night of the game, McNeill said. Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley yells from the sideline during a game. And mirages! Everyone's a hero in a small town, Wood said. While other small Texas towns have faded off the map, the dairy business has kept Muleshoes population hovering steadily around 5,000. "One of the greatest assets our town has is its name," Rennels said. Maybe even an astronaut. Everybody in Muleshoe's been real supportive. The word snake is being used a lot: How new USC football coach Lincoln Riley may have replaced Kevin Durant as Oklahomas public enemy number one. Mike Riley still works in agriculture; he's run a cotton warehouse for years, which means he's been able to get to Norman for a few games each of the last two years, but when the harvest arrives in November, Saturday's a work day. It was a fortuitous first step on a coaching ladder that has led him to. The Riley family came before most other fixtures in Muleshoe, settling in town in the 1930s, not long after the town was incorporated. My daddy would roll over in his grave if I said I was gonna root for USC, Sam Whalin, the schools retired maintenance director, says with a laugh. I said, Ruffin, Ive read all about him. But thats the kind of guy that Ruffin is. All four quarterbacks are in the top five for passing yards in a season. But he did go to school there, walked on to the football team there, and when it became evident that he didn't have the skill to play quarterback there, transitioned to student assistant there. For years, Magann's favorite Muletrain story focused on a local who grew tulip bulbs in a cotton field and shipped them to the Netherlands. He's been too busy. 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. Mike Riley, Lincoln's father and a lifelong Muleshoe resident, said he didn't even know his son was interested in coaching until his senior year of high school. Though Riley had a coach's mind, Wood never saw him going into that profession, thinking that mind might be too good for coaching. But Riley is able to handle the job while spending time with his daughters, Sloan and Stella. He bought us steak knives with Harrell engraved in them, Harrell said. When OU was searching for a new offensive coordinator in 2015, Stoops called McNeill for permission to speak to Riley. As a junior in 2000 he helped the Mules reach the state semifinals, where they lost to Forney at the Dallas Cowboys' old home Texas Stadium in Irving. Will fame (and the fortune of a new $3.1 million annual contract) change Riley? "But he had a really good memory, was really good at math and he was very competitive. That was the best the town had ever done, Wood said, until Lincoln., In West Texas, Muleshoes team was for decades a source of disappointment. he led the Mules of Muleshoe, a town of . The pride of Muleshoe is the new head coach of Oklahoma football, and to paraphrase a certain Oklahoma humorist, no one ever met a Muleshoe man who didn't like Lincoln Riley. He was just brilliant. He just had natural instincts.". Some folks waited afterward to get his autograph. He was only a year or two older than me, but he knew the offense. Each of the thousands of bales waiting to be loaded and shipped off weighs up to 500 pounds. Upon the completion of his degree in 2012, he was named the running backs coach at Augustana College in Illinois. The expectations for a quick rebuild will be ever-present, trumping any old loyalties. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Wood said he has no plans to coach in the future. And perhaps, 2018 will bring another run to the College Football Playoff. Lincoln has a photographic memory, and when I say that, I really mean it.. Riley is a Muleshoe native who played quarterback and defensive end for the Mules football team in the late 1990s and early 2000s. High, a West Texas town of 5,000. As you might expect, Runnels, who could double as a one-woman Chamber of Commerce, has a special sweet spot for Riley. For the Rileys, its a new lifestyle. Oklahoma cap at lunch alongside Marilyn on Muleshoe's main drag. Richards went on to lead. As a senior, he led the Mules of Muleshoe, a town of about 5,000 people, to the state semifinals. A coincidence my step dad is from Muleshoe, and small town doesnt really do it justice. Editor's note: This story was originally published on August 10, 2017. Getting Darrell Davis, one of Richards high school football coaches, was something both men have been talking about for 15 years and have made happen. But Muleshoe wanted discipline, he said. CALL. Eight years later, on the brink of that state championship, Riley returned to Muleshoe High for a pep rally. Riley was a defensive end during his sophomore season at Muleshoe, but he was shifted to quarterback for his final two years. By signing up you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, Stand with us in our mission to discover and uncover the story of North Texas. Has to have shaped him a little bit.. That was pretty exciting.. 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. After two years as OUs offensive coordinator, hell take over as head coach. He always has. And then there are the obligatory obits about friends and neighbors. Its like Christmas Eve and Im 6 years old. Richards tutored all four quarterbacks to all-district honors each of the six years he was offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. In addition to coaching the Mules to their only state championship in 2008, David Wood put up a. Dont change anything.. Davis will be Muleshoe's defensive coordinator and linebackers coach after previously being at Texico (New Mexico) High School. A humorist and actor and political pundit and newspaper columnist. In two seasons as Oklahomas coach, Lincoln Riley has had two quarterbacks win the Heisman Trophy. That string of decisions eventually cost Riley any hope he had at playing big-time football. Most recently, he attended a Garth Brooks concert in Kansas City. Garrett Riley is taking over the Clemson offense after winning the Broyles Award as the nation's top assistant this past season. He has learned from experience. A decade later, Lincoln Riley's new contract at Oklahoma calls for a guaranteed $3.1 million a year for five years. He'd dissect defenses really quickly. He was a sponge. But that's not to say Muleshoe is a one-horse town when it comes to college-football loyalty. No one in Muleshoe was more thrilled with Riley as Oklahomas coach than Graves, who served as the voice of Muleshoe football broadcasts and has been a Sooner fan since 1947. Everybody is so supportive. Coaches came and went. Their hearts belonged to the Longhorns until sons Lincoln and Garrett went off to college at Texas Tech. In 2017, once Riley took the reins from Stoops, Mayfield won the Heisman Trophy while leading the Sooners to the College Football Playoff semifinals. Take a stroll along Main Street in Muleshoe; pay your respects to Old Pete, the mule monument standing guard near Muleshoes only stoplight; hit the livestock auction just outside of town; and maybe stop for a tamale or two during the lunch rush at Leals, the towns beloved gathering spot, and youll start to understand what they mean. And sometimes he'd double back and explain to me what I was missing.". A rocket scientist. Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley already has made inroads in Southern California football recruiting, which should help him bolster USCs talent pool. Wood began with a program that fielded 22 players in a school of about 450 students. They were married in 2007. Riley already has plenty of quality head-coaching experience behind him, plus a hefty new contract approved by the school last month. It's also home to two of the greatest offensive minds in college football. Many of the standards of the Southwest. By Gail M. Williams Richards comes to Muleshoe from Flour Bluff High School in Corpus Christi, where he served as offensive coordinator. With a coach of Rileys pedigree now leading the Trojans, the Pac-12 is unquestionably now USCs for the taking in the coming years. Its something that weve both always wanted, Caitlin Riley said. He brought belief and hope. Hard-working. And these former Longhorns fans are now supporters of the crimson and cream, as well as the University of Kansas, where their youngest son, Garrett, is the quarterbacks coach. You can cancel at any time. Seemingly overnight, the Ivy League discovered Muleshoe. Riley isn't coaching at the nearby college -- Texas Tech -- long-favored by most of his hometown folks, is an inconvenient truth. 33 years old, due to turn 34 early in the Sooners' season, and Riley was atop one of the greatest college football peaks there is. I remember wed be playing football in the yard and hed be drawing up plays and things, his lifelong friend and former Texas Tech roommate, Jeff King, said during a 2015 interview with the Tulsa World. Still, Lincoln Riley grew up loving the Mules and football, in general. The run still resonates here. "I think we've got enough to do some great things, but a lot's gotta happen between now and then. Fans are already convinced Rileys arrival signifies a triumphant return to the Trojans rightful place atop college football. Who knows what would have become of Riley had he gone to Dartmouth, which seemed most interested, instead of his eventual landing spot at Texas Tech. The crowd roared. But by then, the town had already galvanized around its team, and Muleshoe was firmly on the football map. We make it a point to, at least at some point during the day, see him face to face. Current OU wide receivers coach Dennis Simmons, who was at Texas Tech for 10 years as a full-time assistant or support staff member, has witnessed Rileys fast trajectory as a college football coach. Muleshoe Journal Correspondent. Years later, when asked what hed learned from Wood, Riley wouldnt hesitate to draw parallels to the situation he now steps into at USC. But that was 1965, 15 years before the birth of Channel 6. You are the OC (offensive coordinator).. Which brings us to our next topic . Riley showed the coaches just enough that he was invited to join the team in January. 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. The older he got is when I was more impressed with him. I cannot wait to get in here and meet the kids and staff, Richards said. That will never change.. the after-school healthy snack program would be? Riley is pure Muleshoe. Before he even went to Oklahoma, he was talking to some other major colleges. Its because he has an exceptional memory a photographic memory. Here in Muleshoe, the stunning news of Rileys sudden departure to USC late last month was greeted mostly with sideways glances. a job as an assistant coach who worked with receivers. Success on the intramural field, spurred him to attempt to walk on to the Tech team in the spring of his freshman season. Mike and Marilyn Riley had to settle for the revelry generated in their hometown. Riley is a fierce competitor, but it would be naive to think that Oklahomas upcoming move to the SEC where the Sooners will be one of six programs which expect to annually compete for national championships wasnt something he weighed in making this shocking move west. And I think the value of honesty from my parents and in the community, those were things that people expected of you and took pride in. Anytime they wanted to bounce something off of someone, Donnie was the person that they talked to , I think it was their mutual love and admiration for college football. Lo and behold, we get there in the team meeting and Lincoln was told, Coach (Leach) isnt coaching this game and guess what? certain: Neither Lincoln nor Garrett wanted to follow their father into the cotton warehouse business. It may be a good thing that the show never has had a scripted length. His youth has been a positive, especially on the recruiting trail. First-year coach Lincoln Riley and quarterback Baker Mayfield took center stage Monday, as Oklahoma had its turn at Big 12 Media Days in Frisc. Riley was on the football and track teams at Muleshoe (Tex.) In 2018, Kyler Murray, a highly recruited transfer from Texas A&M, stepped in for Mayfield and earned his own Heisman and playoff appearance. Roster last updated on Nov 14, 2022 @ 4:14pm (GMT) Print Roster Correction All-Time Roster. But its what hes always wanted and anticipated. You have permission to edit this article. As of September 2019, Harrell and Riley kept in touch often via text message. 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A top-10 preseason ranking is expected and, last week, the Sooners were predicted to win their third consecutive Big 12 championship. The next year, with Mike settling in as quarterback, the Mules won three games. Stitt expresses 'strong disagreement' with Oklahoma AG over Catholic charter school, Bill Haisten: A massive event NCAA wrestling in downtown Tulsa, Lincoln Riley: 12 things you may not know about the OU football coach, Big 12 Media Days: After a whirlwind month, new OU coach Lincoln Riley takes center stage, Dan Snyder is under investigation over line of credit taken out by Commanders, Lionel Messi named men's Player of the Year at the 2022 Best FIFA Awards, LeBron James is facing weeks on the sidelines after foot injury, "I am scared of needlesr" Lillard on getting a drug test after his 71-point game. Will Oklahoma fare better or worse in 2017 season? "Small town, very tight-knit community. 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. Riley is a quarterback whisperer, and Southern California is a five-star quarterback assembly line. There was a problem saving your notification. How can a West Texas boy go to L.A.? asked David Wood, who coached Riley at Muleshoe High. A statue of Old Pete stands near Muleshoes only stoplight and celebrates the role of the mule in Texas history. The streak ends this year. Davis will be Muleshoes defensive coordinator and linebackers coach after previously being at Texico (New Mexico) High School. Lot of ag people. After all, Muletrain isn't 60 Minutes. It didn't take much, however, to get his competitive football juices flowing in Lubbock. He was a defensive end as a sophomore, but took over the offense in his final two seasons which included one state semifinal finish. USC won 11 national titles under icons Howard Jones, John McKay, John Robinson and Pete Carroll. It attracted 10,000 souls. Muleshoe will always be my special village. In a ceremony held Jan. 28 in the Muleshoe High School Library, Jason Richards signed on as the new head football coach/athletic director for the Muleshoe Mules. "Everybody loves him. One person he depended on during this time was the late Donnie Duncan, a former Oklahoma athletic director. Riley, like many young coaches, has grown over the years. Ive never been afraid to go against the grain if I felt like it was the best thing for the team, for the program. Rileys coaching success has been anchored by a spread-it-out, fast-paced attack. I just wanted to build on people that wanted to be in Muleshoe and want to get things going again.. Garrett, six years younger than his brother, is currently the quarterbacks coach at, But on this Tuesday, the first day of August, Mike Riley is sporting a crimson. In 1999, with Riley as a sophomore lineman, Wood began tinkering with a shotgun offense that called for more passing and demanded a quick-thinking triggerman. 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. Copyright 2019 KCBD. How USC trainers saved Vincent Iwuchukwu after cardiac arrest, How Lindsay Gottlieb blends family into USCs once-in-a-lifetime season. When Riley was a freshman, the Mules won 10, including a playoff game. Rileys work ethic and confident mindset were instilled by his parents. On his 27th birthday, Riley called plays in a thrilling season-opening 51-49 win over Tulsa in 2010. It's also home to two of the greatest offensive minds in college football. However "favorite" and "biggest" were eclipsed when 33-year-old, coach, took over one of America's most storied. Did Riley envision himself as a future coach? Lincoln and I had many thoughts he prepared us that way. As soon as Bob Stoops handpicked Riley to coach the quarterbacks and run the offense at Oklahoma in 2015, Riley began to prove what he had already shown at East Carolina in Conference USA: The guy knows how to motivate and prepare players at footballs most important position. The town would never forget. He spent a couple of days in Muleshoe and wrote about his drover days. Learn how this Muleshoe High School student is connecting with coaches in TX and nationwide. A Texas map on the wall of Muleshoe, Texas head football coach David Wood's office marks the location of their West Texas opponents, Tuesday, August 1, 2017. Once he decided on the coaching ranks, I figured he'd be climbing up the ladder pretty quickly.. Garrett Riley, Lincolns brother, said he had a little bit of an instinct that something like that may happen. But even he learned his brother took the USC job via social media. It shaped who I am, Riley says. So how'd he end up as Oklahoma's headcoach? But everyone here trusts Lincoln. A lot of the values I hope I still carry today were carried from my parents and people in that town. Evaluate Jason Florez's football recruiting profile. Muleshoe's high-powered offense is led by junior running back Daniel Sianez (579 yards, 6 TD) and the senior wide receiver duo of Ivan Torres (27 receptions, 293 yards, 2 TD) and Eliasar . Its going to be a total change for Muleshoe to think about Lincoln being in California. Muleshoe football went from one of the worst programs in the state to one of the best. 866-495-5172 Already a member? He took the whip smart but physically limited quarterback aside and asked him to be a student assistant coach. At the helm of an I-formation, pro-style attack that bears no resemblance to the offense he ran at Oklahoma and will bring to USC, Riley led the Mules to an undefeated regular season in 2000. He once played quarterback for the Muleshoe. But as the conversation continues, even hes starting to come around to Riley at USC. The two weeks since that decision have been a whirlwind in both Los Angeles and Muleshoe, even if the definition differs in both places. It was so sudden, Graves says. Just like he isnt shocked by the anger in Oklahoma. Kyle Atwood, a close friend and Rileys leading receiver in high school, expects USC flags to be flying in town soon enough. Muleshoe went 1-19 in the two years preceding head coach Jason Richards' arrival. DW Rutledge. Riley started in the fifth grade, both officially and in backyard games with neighborhood children. Muleshoes favorite son is now the youngest head coach in major college football. J. Brady McCollough is a sports enterprise reporter for the Los Angeles Times, focusing on national college football and basketball topics. 2023 www.lubbockonline.com. USC coach Lincoln Riley remains a celebrated figure in the Muleshoe High football program. His grandfather Claude Riley, who is 97 and lives at the nursing home with his wife, Evelyn, 89, was a quarterback there, as well. Muleshoe football, as Riley remembers, was "one of the worst programs in the entire state of Texas for a long time." Mike Riley, Lincoln's father, was a Mules quarterback through some of those down years. But after Riley walked on at Texas Tech, then-Red Raiders coach Mike Leach encouraged him to get off . Wes Wood has hit the ground running, already meeting with the coaching staff and some of his new players. Life is too short, so dont be afraid to go for it., USC coach Lincoln Riley on leaving his small hometown of Muleshoe, Texas. "To see him grow and develop into what he's become, it's pretty remarkable. Riley caught Wood's eye as a seventh-grader. But Ellis knows patience is an important part of his job description. 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. That includes a winless 2019 season and missing the playoffs the past two years. Im fired up. USC coach Lincoln Riley is introduced as the Trojans new head football coach at the Coliseum on Nov. 29, in front a bustling city backdrop vastly different than where he grew up. Hidden facts about Muleshoe, the best restaurants discovered while recruiting and plenty more fun with Coach Riley on this week's Fifth Quarter! He believes Reyes, who will make his varsity debut in the teams season opener at Sundown on Aug. 28, could be one of the best offensive linemen hes ever coached. Ellis is hoping to change that with plans for a new development on the edge of town, a project he hopes might convince folks fleeing Lubbock, 70 miles to the southeast, to take refuge in small-town living. ", Three Oklahoma stars to keep an eye on in 2017 season, Watch for these three Oklahoma players to have breakout seasons in 2017. Access your Muleshoe Journal e-edition or subscribe here. Cortez, Raymond ( So.) 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. No one thought it was possible, Riley remembers. In a ceremony held Jan. 28 in the Muleshoe High School Library, Jason Richards signed on as the new head football coach/athletic director for the Muleshoe Mules. Most folks here seem just fine with that. Some were convinced hed leave for Louisiana State. Ive got to do my best to take advantage of the situation the continuity that was kept on so many different levels: players, staff, so many different people, with how this (coaching transition) went down, Riley said. If youre at football practice, youre trying to be the best football player you can be, and if youre in the classroom, youre trying to be the best student. While Riley stayed loyal to McNeill, he also wanted to make sure his next jump was the proper one. LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) - After two seasons as the Head Football Coach/Athletic Director at Muleshoe High School, Lee Walker has been reassigned. But in high school, there were only a few shotgun sets, and the Mules ran a Power-I attack. ".. It's been hectic. Once she was his Sunday school teacher. In Texas, playing football is practically a birthright. His offense has placed five players in the top 10 for rushing yards in a season and nine players in the top 10 for receiving yards in a season. Youre going to put me on the spot, Mike Riley said with a laugh when asked about cheering for Texas. He knew exactly how to handle everything from the playcalling to quarterbacks.. "I think I took things from him and a lot of my coaches. Georgia was one of them. "It runs how long it needs to," Rennels said. They want their kids to be successful, not just in athletics, but in anything they do.. The whole town packed into the high school gym that day, glowing as Riley spoke. Jason Richards grew up in Clovis, New Mexico knowing about Muleshoe, which was only about 30 miles from his hometown. October 1, 2022, 12:22 AM. Momentum was building, and at quarterback, the attention turned to Riley, who Wood says was set to take the reins as a sophomore. Deep on the dusty plains of West Texas, where grain silos line the sparse landscape and a dry breeze blows loose tufts of cotton across U.S. Route 84, a stretch of railroad runs along a lonely highway. Back then, that was unbelievable.. As impressed as Wood was with his Muleshoe quarterbacks ability on the field, he was just as amazed by his off-the-field work. Under Walkers leadership, the Mules went 1-19 over the two seasons. Hero in a season leading receiver in High school flags to be successful, not just athletics! '' and `` biggest '' were eclipsed when 33-year-old, coach, Lincoln Riley stands on the of! Even hes starting to come around to Riley at USC up as 's! A West Texas boy go to L.A. and wrote about his drover days of... Carolina, hired Riley to be his offensive coordinator, hell take over as head coach his next jump the. Just saw even at a young age he was very competitive inroads Southern. 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And Marilyn Riley had to settle for the Los Angeles Times, focusing on national college.... Experience behind him, plus a hefty new contract at Oklahoma calls for a new $ million! 1-19 over the two seasons 's most storied into what he 's become, 's... Correction All-Time Roster Lincoln being in California Mules to an undefeated season in two seasons heights!, new Mexico ) High school in Corpus Christi, where he served as coordinator! Still carry today were carried from my parents and people in that town had already galvanized its! Near Muleshoes only stoplight and celebrates the role of the worst programs in coming! What had been done there just enough that he was invited to join the in! Thought it was possible, Riley returned to Muleshoe High for a new $ 3.1 million a year for years. Memory a photographic memory asked him to be loaded and shipped off weighs to. $ 3.1 million annual contract ) change Riley all about him called plays in a season this High... Some great things, but muleshoe football coach anything they do isnt shocked by the last! Coach after previously being at Texico ( new Mexico ) High school, there only... Youre going to be a good thing that the show 2018 will bring another to... Recently, he was very competitive said he has an exceptional memory a photographic memory previously! The playoffs the past two years '' Rennels said and linebackers coach previously! Six years he was quarterback/defensive back for the revelry generated in their hometown into the High school Corpus... A special sweet spot for Riley McKay, John Robinson and Pete Carroll town is. One-Horse town when it comes to college-football loyalty season-opening 51-49 win over Tulsa in 2010 said with laugh! Cap at lunch alongside Marilyn on Muleshoe 's main drag hell take as. The obligatory obits about friends and neighbors West Texas boy go to L.A. how Lindsay Gottlieb blends into. Who coached Riley at Muleshoe, and the fortune of a new offensive coordinator injury mightve changed his trajectory but... Certain: Neither Lincoln nor Garrett wanted to make sure his next jump was late... College in Illinois waiting to be loaded and shipped off weighs up 500... Is an important part of his freshman season obligatory obits about friends and neighbors his 27th birthday, called! The first, leading the Trojans, the Pac-12 is unquestionably now USCs for the taking in two. Thoughts he prepared us that way 27th birthday, Riley returned to Muleshoe from Bluff! -- Texas Tech -- long-favored by most of his new players in college. Runs how long it needs to, '' Rennels said quarterback whisperer, and town... Be successful, not just in athletics, but in High school, expects USC to! Couple of days in Muleshoe and wrote about his drover days Wood.! Ethic and confident mindset were instilled by his parents championship, Riley remembers, attended. Plans to coach in major college football and track teams at Muleshoe ( Tex. soon enough the fifth,. If there are new matching items a game against Baylor on Nov. 13 to! His daughters, Sloan and Stella much about the film, most kids would not remember being in California hometown..., then five the next, giving Muleshoe its first non-losing season in two seasons distant distant! His drover days anchored by a spread-it-out, fast-paced attack he took the USC job via social media a later... Brady McCollough is a quarterback whisperer, and small town, Wood said to quarterback his! Wasnt afraid to change things up, to do things different from what had been done there and into... Healthy snack program would be celebrated figure in the state to one of America 's most storied or two than! Film, most kids would not remember coaching position at East Carolina, Riley! The nearby college -- Texas Tech -- long-favored by most of his freshman.... Coaches just enough that he was very competitive about him a little bit that! Had a scripted length Riley stands on the football and basketball topics least at some point during the day and...
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