Lincoln Riley


Lincoln Michael Riley is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the head coach at the University of Oklahoma.

Early career

Riley ran track at Muleshoe High School in Muleshoe, a town in West Texas. He began his high school career at defensive end and made the move to quarterback for his junior and senior seasons. Riley played quarterback at Texas Tech University as a walk-on in 2002, behind senior starter and future Texas Tech coach Kliff Kingsbury and back-up B. J. Symons. After a year, he became a student assistant to Mike Leach, gradually progressing to graduate assistant and then to receivers coach. Following his departure from Texas Tech after the firing of Leach, Lincoln went on to serve five seasons as offensive coordinator at East Carolina University under Ruffin McNeill.

Oklahoma

Riley was hired by Bob Stoops to be the offensive coordinator for the Oklahoma Sooners on January 12, 2015. In his first season at Oklahoma, Riley led the Sooners to the 7th ranked offense in the country and to the College Football Playoff. He also won the Broyles Award, awarded the nation's top assistant coach. On June 7, 2017, Bob Stoops retired as head coach and Riley was named his successor. In the 2017 season, Riley, anchored by Heisman winner Baker Mayfield, led his team to the Big 12 conference championship, #2 in the CFP rankings, and a berth in one of the CFP semifinal games at the Rose Bowl. Oklahoma went on to lose the 2018 Rose Bowl to Georgia in double overtime 54–48.

Head coaching record

Personal life

Riley graduated from Texas Tech in 2006 with a bachelor's degree in exercise and sports science. He and his wife Caitlin have two daughters, named Sloan and Stella, and two pets Boomer and Sooner.
His younger brother, Garrett, currently serves as offensive coordinator at Southern Methodist University.