We was driving over a Country where 36 years before as a boy 18 years old I had helped drive a bunch of cattle from that very place to Western Kansas, and there wasent a house or a chicken in a whole county. Head Cross Country/Head Girls Powerlifting Coach . "He was a coach on the field for us. As noted in a 2019 Times profile of Riley, Like most boys in West Texas, Riley grew up wanting to be the QB1, not coach him. Here are five things every fan should know about the Trojans' new coach. 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. Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley yells from the sideline during a game. 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. Honest, hard-working people. 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. We were huge Muleshoe fans.. Patience and a well-timed recruiting pitch helped USC lure Lincoln Riley away from Oklahoma, sending shockwaves through the college football world. Muleshoe residents gather for a livestock auction featuring sheep, hogs and goats. Who can help student-athletes cash in? Junior High Coordinator Ross Johnson. 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. Leach took to introducing Riley, then 23, as the youngest full-time major college assistant coach in the country. Anyhow, Riley wanted to be a college quarterback, but a shoulder dislocation kept him from reaching that potential. A decade later, Lincoln Riley's new contract at Oklahoma calls for a guaranteed $3.1 million a year for five years. 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. But its what hes always wanted and anticipated. The crowd roared. "I think I took things from him and a lot of my coaches. No matter how Riley and the Sooners fare, the 105-year-old town of Muleshoe will be proud of him. The Rennels' house on West 3rd Street is conveniently located just down from Muleshoe High, whose Friday night football games the station videotapes for continuous airings on Saturdays and Sundays. He's certainly more comfortable in his job than he was a year ago at this time. 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. The only time they were away was when they attended the University of Texas. Some were convinced hed leave for Louisiana State. I am a Haskell Indian Nations University graduate. Rileys work ethic and confident mindset were instilled by his parents. sternly in a slow West Texas drawl, leaving no doubt that there would be nothing further from him on the topic. "He had great math skills, intelligence and a photographic memory, stuff that you just don't see.". Harrell told The Times, Really Lincoln was the first person that taught me Mike Leachs offense. The selection committee sorted through 112 applications and interviewed six applicants on Jan. 22 and 23 before determining that Richards would be their choice. Its going to be a total change for Muleshoe to think about Lincoln being in California. Young kids look up to the varsity kids. ", 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. quarterback, led the Mules 400 miles to a Class 3A state semifinal game at Texas Stadium in Irving. Life is too short, so dont be afraid to go for it., USC coach Lincoln Riley on leaving his small hometown of Muleshoe, Texas. I knew he'd be the best next coach at a major Division I school. Which brings us to our next topic . By Gail M. Williams And, of course, who knows when those smitten might get engaged or married or when babies will be born? As you might expect, Runnels, who could double as a one-woman Chamber of Commerce, has a special sweet spot for Riley. Muleshoe will always be my special village. Wood said he envisioned his quarterback working someday for NASA. High, a West Texas town of 5,000. Every time we get steaks and have friends over, they ask, Where did you get these knives? Always my wife will say, The Rileys bought them for us as a wedding gift. He tells me to come and visit him. USC won 11 national titles under icons Howard Jones, John McKay, John Robinson and Pete Carroll. Here in Muleshoe, the stunning news of Rileys sudden departure to USC late last month was greeted mostly with sideways glances. Muleshoe Mules Class: 3A Division I DCTF High School Ranking: NR Location: Muleshoe, Texas 2022 District 2-3A Division I Standings Team District Record Overall Record Next Opponent Shallowater Mustangs 4 - 0 10 - 2 Idle Bushland Falcons 3 - 1 11 - 2 Idle Muleshoe Mules 2 - 2 8 - 4 Idle Dalhart Wolves 1 - 3 5 - 6 Idle Texas Tech coach Mike Leach saw enough in him to recruit him as a walk on, but it wasnt too long during his time in Lubbock before Riley moved into a student assistant role. Head Boys Powerlifting Coach Jaxon Lee. Youre going to put me on the spot, Mike Riley said with a laugh when asked about cheering for Texas. The Sooners coach listens to many different genres. All rights reserved. I cannot wait to get in here and meet the kids and staff, Richards said. According to the Dallas Morning News, the Mules scored just one touchdown during the entire 1969 season. Georgia was one of them. 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. You could see anything in the world just ahead of you. We're very excited, Mike Riley said. But I don't know that I would've gone this way without having the great experience back home.". Muleshoe Mules Varsity Boys Football Muleshoe, TX FOLLOW TEAM 22-23 V. Football Home Schedule Roster Stats Standings Rankings Photos Videos News More / Muleshoe High School Football Muleshoe Football OVERALL 8-4 0.67 Win % DISTRICT 2-2 3rd in District HOME5-0 AWAY3-3 NEUTRAL0-1 PF318 PA345 STREAK1L Contribute to the Team Complete the Schedule When Wood talks about Riley, it sounded like Lou Holtz, who a couple of months ago came through Oklahoma City and noted his innate ability to immediately see and comprehend the intricacies of football. "Yeah, I think that's fair to say," he said. "We'll see," Riley said. Which brings us to our next topic . Heres little po-dunk Muleshoe playing in the [Dallas] Cowboys stadium, said Wood, whos now retired. Duncan drew close to Riley and McNeill during the Alamo Bowl and was a mentor to the pair until his death on March 12, 2016. As impressed as Wood was with his Muleshoe quarterbacks ability on the field, he was just as amazed by his off-the-field work. Outside candidates. ", Three Oklahoma stars to keep an eye on in 2017 season, Watch for these three Oklahoma players to have breakout seasons in 2017. Hes gonna make the Trojans a powerhouse again.. He could think on the field unlike anybody else, Wood said. While the Sooners did not recruit as much in the Southland in Rileys first five years in Norman, theyve made camp in recent years, pulling commitments in the last year from some of the top offensive talent in the region 2022 five-star Santa Ana Mater Dei running back Raleek Brown, 2023 five-star Los Alamitos quarterback Malachi Nelson (the top quarterback in his class), 2023 five-star Los Alamitos athlete Makai Lemon and 2023 four-star Los Alamitos receiver DeAndre Moore Jr. Those players could switch their commitments to USC soon enough, and there will be more local players and coaches taking immediate notice of Riley putting down roots in Los Angeles to restore the proud tradition of the USC program. The work was strenuous enough to teach Lincoln Riley the intended lessons about hard work and responsibility but also to convince him he had no interest in inheriting the family business. What had been done was history or tradition or how theyd always done it, but it wasnt working. Copyright 2022. Almost seven decades later, another 18-year-old in Muleshoe was ready to find his way, and the folks from Lincoln Riley's hometown swear he could see anything in the world, just ahead of him. Coaches came and went. The Wallace Theatre sits on Muleshoes Main Street. The Mules are set to kickoff the 2021 football team on Friday night by hosting Sundown. Oklahomas issue during those seasons was its porous defense, but, during the last two years, its offense sputtered (at least living up to its ridiculous standards), as Riley struggled to work his magic on five-star quarterback prospects Spencer Rattler and Caleb Williams Jr. Look, when 10-2 is your down year, youre doing pretty well. , Victor marveled at how much time the older brother spent tutoring elementary school aged Garrett on the football field. "We were Tech fans here because it's close," Todd, the undertaker, announced. Wes Wood has hit the ground running, already meeting with the coaching staff and some of his new players. Riley showed the coaches just enough that he was invited to join the team in January. Hal Mumme was the head coach at McMurry University in Abilene, which is about three hours from Muleshoe. Their hearts belonged to the Longhorns until sons Lincoln and Garrett went off to college at Texas Tech. Pride Football camp starts Monday morning. Under Walkers leadership, the Mules went 1-19 over the two seasons. The Sooners lost their CFP semifinal to Georgia, 54-48 in double overtime at the Rose Bowl on New Year's Day, but Riley had led them to a 12-2 record 8-1 against Big 12 teams in just his first season as Stoops' replacement. Every Friday night that season, Muleshoe shut down. 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. When Riley was a freshman, the Mules won 10, including a playoff game. He was a young man who could create plays, said Black, the longtime mayor. He played out the year on the defensive line instead. Kind of overwhelmed. Muleshoe (locals pronounce it mule-SHOE), named in honor of a nearby ranch and developed in 1913 to take advantage of commerce sure to come with newly laid railroad tracks linking Lubbock to New Mexico, was back on the map. Davis will be Muleshoe's defensive coordinator and linebackers coach after previously being at Texico (New Mexico) High School. Evaluate Jason Florez's football recruiting profile. They are high-integrity people who recruit the right way and have a unique ability to work with players on and off the field.. 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. That string of decisions eventually cost Riley any hope he had at playing big-time football. That part has always been important to me.. Two years into that gig, Riley found himself promoted to head coach when Stoops unexpectedly retired in June of 2017. (An even smaller coincidence my step dad and Riley are apparently distant, distant cousins). All rights reserved. Today, he contends that their prank, now a part of town lore, was delayed payback for Friona painting the previous seasons score all over Muleshoes own weight room. After two years as OUs offensive coordinator, hell take over as head coach. He knew exactly how to handle everything from the playcalling to quarterbacks.. They were some complex plays as complex as you can be at 11.. It's also home to two of the greatest offensive minds in college football. Theres no shortage of small-town sleuths here still wondering aloud why Riley up and left the Sooners seemingly overnight. Hard-working. But well take him lunch or go to practice.. 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. He doubled that win total in his first . CALL. Has to have shaped him a little bit.. Back then, that was unbelievable.. Get the latest on L.A.'s teams in the daily Sports Report newsletter. No telling if the city founders had any inkling the name might itself become a celebrity of sorts. Maybe even a national title. Ryan Kartje is the USC beat writer at the Los Angeles Times. Lincoln has a photographic memory, and when I say that, I really mean it.. Muleshoe coach Jason Richards discusses the touchdown run that sparked the Mules 39-37 comeback win over Brownfield on Friday night. "As long as I could have kids like Lincoln, I knew I could compete.". But he chose football, and his immediate success with three College Football Playoff semifinal appearances in his first three years as head coach at Oklahoma has become an inextricable part of the towns story, one theyre more than happy to share, even if most cant quite reckon with the latest twist. At USC, expectations are already soaring. Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley talks with his players during a game against Oklahoma State on Saturday. Note: Lincoln Riley turns 35 years old today. Really? So how'd he end up as Oklahoma's headcoach? Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley, center, talks with quarterback Caleb Williams (13) and quarterback Spencer Rattler (7) before a game against Iowa State on Nov. 20. It 's close, '' he said Texas Tech going to put me on the spot, Mike Riley with! Angeles Times Garrett went off to college at Texas Stadium in Irving gone this way having... Fans here because it 's close, '' Todd, the Mules miles! 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