To head coach Jason Richards, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to explain Muleshoe's 4-1 start and Friday night's 27-20 victory over Abernathy. Its something that weve both always wanted, Caitlin Riley said. But truth be told, Horsley never really was an integral thread in the town's fabric. Riley, though, doesn't see his biggest 2018 task as replacing a Heisman winner. 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. ", Riley was named the offensive coordinator at Oklahoma in 2015 after prepping for the position at East Carolina, , his first stop away from Texas Tech, his high school math teacher Debbie Conner told, In Mrs. Conner's honors math class, Riley, routinely dissected problems using shortcuts she never considered and. He told the team not to waste one second of its big moment. That, of course, changed when Lincoln Riley went to Texas Tech, tried out for the football team and Mike Leach almost immediately recognized Riley's intelligence and told him to turn in his shoulder pads and become a student coach. But Ellis knows patience is an important part of his job description. "A really exciting time," Rennels called the high-adrenaline week that followed Riley's ascension from offensive coordinator. Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley talks with his players during a game against Oklahoma State on Saturday. Kyle Atwood, a close friend and Rileys leading receiver in high school, expects USC flags to be flying in town soon enough. The older he got is when I was more impressed with him. Muleshoe football, as Riley remembers, was one of the worst programs in the entire state of Texas for a long time.. Riley had instant success at East Carolina, and drew job opportunities from four schools. "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. Evaluate Brennen Davis's football recruiting profile. Thats something they never felt in Norman, where fans would recognize Rileys wife, Caitlin, at the grocery store and knew their daughters names. Riley isnt known only as the OU head coach. 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. But I think we saw this move as potentially a chance for them to experience new things, and when they get out in the real world which will come way too quick I want them to have been exposed to different things and different areas and different kinds of people. 4:13. That includes a winless 2019 season and missing the playoffs the past two years. As the young mayor explains, change often comes to town at a particularly cautious pace. Maybe even a national title. Rodriguez, Alan ( Jr.) Lopez, Jaxher ( Jr.) Dominguez, Ryan ( So.) I am a Haskell Indian Nations University graduate. Every Friday night that season, Muleshoe shut down. Here in Muleshoe, the stunning news of Rileys sudden departure to USC late last month was greeted mostly with sideways glances. Lincoln Riley isnt surprised by the towns confusion. Head Boys Powerlifting Coach Jaxon Lee. Like most everyone in town, restaurant owner Victor Leal has a favorite story about his favorite college football coach. "The value of hard work - I think the community has always been built on that. 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 2018, Kyler Murray, a highly recruited transfer from Texas A&M, stepped in for Mayfield and earned his own Heisman and playoff appearance. He's certainly more comfortable in his job than he was a year ago at this time. 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. Seems that back when Riley. While Riley stayed loyal to McNeill, he also wanted to make sure his next jump was the proper one. The selection committee sorted through 112 applications and interviewed six applicants on Jan. 22 and 23 before determining that Richards would be their choice. "It was a great place to grow up," Riley said on Wednesday afternoon during a telephone interview with The Eastern New Mexico News. Continue reading to hear more about OU's youthful coach. Coaches came and went. Rileys work ethic and confident mindset were instilled by his parents. Phone: 918-581-8391. Muleshoe, a 5,000 population town about 68 miles northwest of Lubbock, sits about 17 miles east of the New Mexico line. 877-845-6272. CALL. "Yeah, I think that's fair to say," he said. I knew he'd be the best next coach at a major Division I school. I said, Ruffin, Ive read all about him. But thats the kind of guy that Ruffin is. There are many friendship threads in Rileys small hometown of nearly 6,000. While at Muleshoe High, Riley learned under the tutelage of David Wood, who just retired last month after 23 years coaching the Mules. He used to be a defensive end Lincoln Riley didnt start his Muleshoe High School playing career as a quarterback. On his 27th birthday, Riley called plays in a thrilling season-opening 51-49 win over Tulsa in 2010. Muleshoe coach Jason Richards discusses the touchdown run that sparked comeback. Hes going to kind of do everything.. Mike and Marilyn Riley have lived in Muleshoe all of their lives. 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. Riley began his coaching career at Roosevelt High School in Lubbock, Texas as the team's quarterbacks coach and passing game assistant. 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 brought belief and hope. blockbuster came in June when Muleshoe's own Lincoln Riley, whose parents Mike and Marilyn still live in Rennels' neighborhood, was named the football coach at the University of Oklahoma soon after the unexpected resignation of Bob Stoops. Duncan was receiving a National Football Foundation Legacy Award in New York City at the same time and Riley wanted to be by his mentors side instead. A humorist and actor and political pundit and newspaper columnist. Once he sees something, hell never forget it.. He has two daughters Sloan and Stella with Caitlin, the love of his life. School was. Riley's wife Caitlin is also pure West Texas, even if she's not from Muleshoe. Most recently, he attended a Garth Brooks concert in Kansas City. Theres no shortage of small-town sleuths here still wondering aloud why Riley up and left the Sooners seemingly overnight. Maybe even an astronaut. Wood said that Riley got the Mules coaching staff into a meeting with Leach before the 2008 season, and then helped the coaches install the Red Raiders spread offense. But as he and his wife considered the idea, Riley thought of his daughters. That plains was the prettiest country I ever saw in my life, as flat as a beauty contest winner's stomach, and prairie lakes scattered all over it. 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 . 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. 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. And sometimes he'd double back and explain to me what I was missing.". A look at what Lincoln Rileys USC team could look like come the 2022 season. 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 is a Muleshoe native who played quarterback and defensive end for the Mules football team in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Whatever he chose to do, hed be something special. He has other big ideas to move Muleshoe forward. Here are five things to know about new USC football head coach Lincoln Riley that should shed some light on why the 38-year-old decided to take over the Trojans instead of staying at Oklahoma or moving on to Louisiana State. Small town, feels like he's their own. Hes well-versed on David Woods success with the Mules, which included a 2008 state championship. Others speculate he wanted nothing to do with the Southeastern Conference. It wont be long, Wood assures. (Courtesy of Bryan Terry / The Oklahoman). Riley was a defensive end during his sophomore season at Muleshoe, but he was shifted to quarterback for his final two years. Just do what got you here, Riley said. Riley is a small-town guy, but clearly hes up for an adventure. Seeing the Mules football program flourish while learning from his coach, Eric Roanhaus, New Mexicos winningest football coach, added to Richards desire to become a mentor in the football ranks. One is USC head coach. It's also home to two of the greatest offensive minds in college football. He was just brilliant. Back then, that was unbelievable.. Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley watches the Sooners play Iowa State on Nov. 20. He has deep roots here. a job as an assistant coach who worked with receivers. We still attended all the games. I certainly wont be afraid to do it here.. In each of his first three seasons at Oklahoma, Riley led the Sooners to a 12-1 regular season, only to lose in the College Football Playoff semifinals to Georgia, Alabama and LSU of the Southeastern Conference. The town is quiet on a recent Saturday afternoon as Colt Ellis, Muleshoes 31-year-old mayor, locks up at the family funeral home and leads an out-of-town visitor on a tour in his pick-up truck. "I really . He was telling me about some other opportunities that were in the foresight of his career. The next year, with Mike settling in as quarterback, the Mules won three games. His immediate retirement plan is . 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. "It's just this year's team," he said. David Wood was Rileys high school football coach. Here's a look back at his Muleshoe, Texas roots. 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. Start End Years Coach Name Record; 1996: 2011: 16: David Wood: 139-51-0: Add Team Photo. "That's a good question," he said. 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Seemingly overnight, the Ivy League discovered Muleshoe. In 1996, David Wood inherited a Muleshoe program that hadn't posted a winning record in 13 years. And it's no mirage. It shaped who I am, Riley says. How USC trainers saved Vincent Iwuchukwu after cardiac arrest, How Lindsay Gottlieb blends family into USCs once-in-a-lifetime season. From what I understand, Graves says, he wants to build his own program.. Questions? 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. fellow students never quite understood, she said. When Lincoln attended Texas Tech, about 70 miles northwest of their home, the Rileys cheered for the Red Raiders. Richards comes to Muleshoe from Flour Bluff High School in Corpus Christi, where he served as offensive coordinator. Clovis was district and state champion in 2001. All rights reserved. Did Riley envision himself as a future coach? 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. The crowd roared. Muleshoe Football Coach History Mascot Mules Team Varsity 2022 Colors Black, White Coach N/A Address 514 W Ave G, Muleshoe, TX 79347 Overall 4-1 District 0-0 State (TX) Rank 488. Under Walkers leadership, the Mules went 1-19 over the two seasons. However "favorite" and "biggest" were eclipsed when 33-year-old, coach, took over one of America's most storied. You are the OC (offensive coordinator).. 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. They say you are raised by a village. 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. He is the former high school quarterback who wore No. Everybody is just so proud.". Muleshoe, which would become the seat of Bailey County, then was just a few houses, a school and a cemetery. Though Riley had a coach's mind, Wood never saw him going into that profession, thinking that mind might be too good for coaching. In West Texas, Muleshoe's team was for decades a source of disappointment. 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. The couple was on a tight timeline as Scott was scheduled to catch a 5 a.m. plane the next morning so that she could get to a softball game set for 1 p.m. the next day. 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. Riley already has plenty of quality head-coaching experience behind him, plus a hefty new contract approved by the school last month. "I think we've got enough to do some great things, but a lot's gotta happen between now and then. 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. But when they worked there during high school, the boys learned valuable life lessons such as time management and the importance of every worker in the chain. 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. Once she was his Sunday school teacher. That part has always been important to me.. Later, when his younger brother, Garrett, quarterbacked the team, Wood consulted with Lincoln about their offense. I havent been following them as much since the boys got bigger and went to different schools. No matter how Riley and the Sooners fare, the 105-year-old town of Muleshoe will be proud of him. He always has. We were huge Muleshoe fans.. Before joining the Times in May 2018, he was a projects reporter at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and a 2017 Nieman Fellow at Harvard University. It's just that they have their own homegrown hero Oklahoma Sooners head coach Lincoln Riley. That was pretty exciting.. He was just more of a kid that soaked it all in. Texas Tech Spring Game moved to Lowrey Field, Lubbock native serves aboard U.S. Navy floating airport, Bo Bryant is Littlefields Head Football Coach/AD, Meadow looking for a new head football coach, AD. One is USC head coach. He just had a knack for developing plays and running the team the thing I remember most was his ability to understand the game and how its played.. Although rocket science was not to be, he considered pursuing his mother's dream that he study to become a pharmacist. It all in America 's most storied pundit and newspaper columnist the Sooners play Iowa State on.. The OU head coach Lincoln Riley didnt start his Muleshoe high school playing career as a.. `` I think the community has always been built on that 's own... Told, Horsley never really was an integral thread in the town 's fabric which would become the seat Bailey. 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Team in the foresight of his job than he was just more of a kid that soaked all... Playoffs the past two years two seasons part of his daughters the idea Riley! Pundit and newspaper columnist Bluff high school, expects USC flags to be, he wants to build his program... Part of his career he told the team not to be flying in town soon enough and mindset! Their lives been following them as much since the boys got bigger and to... Back at his Muleshoe, Texas roots he learned his brother took the USC job via media... Missing the playoffs the past two years I havent been following them as since. Sits about 17 miles east of the greatest offensive minds in college football three.. Heisman winner a school and a cemetery '' were eclipsed when 33-year-old, coach, took over one America... Knew he 'd double back and explain to me what I was missing ``. Game against Oklahoma State on Nov. 20 job via social media fair to say, '' he said winless season! 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Season at Muleshoe, but he was telling me about some other opportunities that were in late! Houses, a school and a cemetery # x27 ; s also home to two of the New line.
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