certain: Neither Lincoln nor Garrett wanted to follow their father into the cotton warehouse business. It's also home to two of the greatest offensive minds in college football. Instead of bemoaning the fact he may lose his coach, McNeill began talking up his good friend. 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. He can be heard Monday through Friday from 4:40-5:20 p.m. on The Sports Animal radio network, including FM-98.1. 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. Muletrain, it should be noted, actually has been around since the late 1950s as a radio offering on a station that beamed it in from Clovis, N.M., 30 miles away. 12.8K views. Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley talks with his players during a game against Oklahoma State on Saturday. Soon after, Todd and Starla Ellis, who run the local funeral home, stopped by the Riley's table. Riley, though, doesn't see his biggest 2018 task as replacing a Heisman winner. It's also home to two of the greatest offensive minds in college football. 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. According to a press release, while serving as offensive coordinator, Richards football program had a 51-21 record, including three regional semi-final appearances and two area championship appearances. Riley isn't coaching at the nearby college -- Texas Tech -- long-favored by most of his hometown folks, is an inconvenient truth. Outside candidates. In 2014, assistant head coach was added to Riley's titles. Growing up here, Ellis says, it often felt like you were insulated from the ails of the outside world. That string of decisions eventually cost Riley any hope he had at playing big-time football. That will never change.. Just do what got you here, Riley said. Mike Riley calls Muleshoe just like a lot of small towns. "It was a great place to grow up," Riley said on Wednesday afternoon during a telephone interview with The Eastern New Mexico News. You know everybody. Riley played quarterback and defensive end for Muleshoe High School before graduating in 2002. After two years as OUs offensive coordinator, hell take over as head coach. Both sides of the family were rooted in the farming business. only a means to a football end. 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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. "One of the greatest assets our town has is its name," Rennels said. 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. Theres an intense sense of pride. He knew exactly how to handle everything from the playcalling to quarterbacks.. 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. Seemingly overnight, the Ivy League discovered Muleshoe. Theirs is one of many businesses in town that have been passed down, then passed down again, lending Muleshoe an ingrained sense of continuity and pride. 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. Garrett Riley is taking over the Clemson offense after winning the Broyles Award as the nation's top assistant this past season. 1. Young kids look up to the varsity kids. After three years of student coaching as an undergraduate and another as a graduate assistant, Leach, on Valentine's Day 2007, offered Riley. Once he decided on the coaching ranks, I figured he'd be climbing up the ladder pretty quickly.. Its like Christmas Eve and Im 6 years old. He took the whip smart but physically limited quarterback aside and asked him to be a student assistant coach. Just like he isnt shocked by the anger in Oklahoma. Did Riley envision himself as a future coach? I knew he'd be the best next coach at a major Division I school. 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. LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) - After two seasons as the Head Football Coach/Athletic Director at Muleshoe High School, Lee Walker has been reassigned. That includes a winless 2019 season and missing the playoffs the past two years. ", football hit an extended drought in the second half of the 20th century as coaches came and went with remarkable regularity. How USC trainers saved Vincent Iwuchukwu after cardiac arrest, How Lindsay Gottlieb blends family into USCs once-in-a-lifetime season. And, of course, who knows when those smitten might get engaged or married or when babies will be born? 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. Riley also played basketball, baseball and ran track during his youth and high school days, but it was football that piqued his interest. Berry Tramel: Berry can be reached at (405) 760-8080 or at btramel@oklahoman.com. How can a West Texas boy go to L.A.? asked David Wood, who coached Riley at Muleshoe High. Riley played briefly for Texas Tech, but spent more time there coaching than playing. Caravans of pick-ups and SUVs would filter out of town for road games, packing visiting bleachers across the plains. Which brings us to our next topic . Mike Leach and his Texas Tech Red Raiders were only an hour away, and Lincoln had already traded his helmet for a coaching whistle as a GA by the time Garrett was ready to be the starting quarterback back home. Riley is already having huge success recruiting Southern California. Over the past six years, the offense averaged 38 points per game and amassed an average of more than 400 yards per game. He played out the year on the defensive line instead. 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. Greatness, yes. The two weeks since that decision have been a whirlwind in both Los Angeles and Muleshoe, even if the definition differs in both places. He was a computer on legs. Volunteer. ".. It's been hectic. Even his childhood mischief has become a part of the town mythos. (An even smaller coincidence my step dad and Riley are apparently distant, distant cousins). But Muleshoe wanted discipline, he said. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. Riley still has an itch to scratch when it comes to winning at the highest level of the sport and must feel he can reach the summit more easily from USC. Dont change anything.. Roster last updated on Nov 14, 2022 @ 4:14pm (GMT) Print Roster Correction All-Time Roster. Lincoln has a photographic memory, and when I say that, I really mean it.. 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. Pride Football camp starts Monday morning. The town wanted to be good. Hes the person who has a spare second for those wanting to talk to him during visits home. A lot of the values I hope I still carry today were carried from my parents and people in that town. Junior High Coordinator Ross Johnson. "Now we are Oklahoma fans because Lincoln is closer. His family has always been a great part of the community.. Still, he opted not to play as a senior. 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. As a freshman, he had a team-leading 221 receiving yards with a touchdown and will be expected to stay on the field for as long as he can to play on offense, defense and special teams. I really saw his potential to be a rocket scientist, Wood said in 2015. Hes a great, great dad, Caitlin Riley said. Im sure hes got a pretty nice home now, making what hes making., Its possible that Riley has been keeping up with USC from afar given his affinity for Harrell. We have to put things together, do it again. Some speculate the injury mightve changed his trajectory, but the next season, Riley led Muleshoe to new heights as its quarterback anyway. McNeill, who accepted the head coaching position at East Carolina, hired Riley to be his offensive coordinator. A lot of times when people get success at a young age, the humble factor tends to get put on the backburner, Simmons said. Registration is at 7:15 to 8:00 at the football field first session is for incoming . But Riley is able to handle the job while spending time with his daughters, Sloan and Stella. He brought a program and a culture to Muleshoe that hadnt been there, Riley said. "It's quite an accolade to say I was able to be a part of his life," Wood said. A farming community sprouted alongside the track soon after some 70 miles northwest of Lubbock and 30 miles east of the border taking its name from the nearby ranch where, legend has it, the original owner found a stray muleshoe lying in the soil. Even a few weeks ago, he says, if you wouldve told me I was living in L.A., I dont know that I wouldve believed you.. 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. 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. Muleshoe rolled through four playoff games on their way to the Class 3A state semifinals, including a rare win over Friona that inspired Riley and three teammates the next summer to climb the rival towns water tower and spray paint the winning score, 23-13, for all to see. Notice something in common about the starting quarterbacks for Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State and Georgia entering this year? Riley was a defensive end during his sophomore season at Muleshoe, but he was shifted to quarterback for his final two years. I had to explain everything to him only once. He looks back fondly on his upbringing in West Texas and the lessons it taught him. He wasnt afraid to change things up, to do things different from what had been done there. Editor's note: This story was originally published on August 10, 2017. The next year, with Mike settling in as quarterback, the Mules won three games. Stoops said he wouldnt have retired this offseason if not for his confidence in Riley. (Reyes) is a stud. MULESHOE, Texas -- Speaking over the phone Friday morning, new USC football coach Lincoln Riley is discussing his adjustment to Los Angeles so far and laughs when asked about his current living arrangement. 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. New USC football coach Lincoln Riley grew up in Muleshoe, Texas. He was only a year or two older than me, but he knew the offense. When Stoops retired on June 7, the decision to replace him immediately was so quick that the Rileys didn't have time to make the six-hour drive from Muleshoe. You just have a lot of pride in the town and in the people. According to the Dallas Morning News, the Mules scored just one touchdown during the entire 1969 season. Family roots run generations deep in Muleshoe, making it sometimes feel like time is standing still. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. But I think its a wonderful move.. 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. Not only did they know him, he would take the time and just visit with those small kids and the junior high kids. Maybe even an astronaut. Hes the young man who helped his alma mater install the spread offense, which led the Mules to a 2008 state championship. Hal Mumme was the head coach at McMurry University in Abilene, which is about three hours from Muleshoe. 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. Hes just an athletic big kid. Maybe even a national title. Everybody is so supportive. That notion crossed his mind the last Sunday morning in November, as he decided within a few hours to leave the comfort of Oklahoma for the uncertainty of USC. Even in the classroom, when the teacher was giving notes, he'd just soak it in. Muleshoe, just 22 miles from the New Mexico border, is home to the National Mule Memorial. Which brings us to our next topic . One newcomer Richards is excited about is Nic Reyes, a 5-foot-11, 275-pound sophomore offensive lineman. There are many friendship threads in Rileys small hometown of nearly 6,000. But truth be told, Horsley never really was an integral thread in the town's fabric. I said, Ruffin, Ive read all about him. But thats the kind of guy that Ruffin is. However "favorite" and "biggest" were eclipsed when 33-year-old, coach, took over one of America's most storied. 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. California? to try to lead the Mules out of the desert. Rileys work ethic and confident mindset were instilled by his parents. Riley is pure Muleshoe. The news first broke on Twitter by Matt Stepp on December 17 and KCBD Sports confirmed on Christmas Eve. Head coach Jason Richards hopes that preseason growth can be turned into regular-season success. It wont be long, Wood assures. Later, when his younger brother, Garrett, quarterbacked the team, Wood consulted with Lincoln about their offense. Maybe more frequent trips to Los Angeles planted some seeds that Southern California might be a nice place to raise two young daughters, Sloan and Stella, with wife Caitlin, even though its a much different lifestyle than what theyve known in Norman, Okla. The Mules won one game in Wood's first season, then five the next, giving Muleshoe its first. Conventional wisdom would say that you guys have been smallish-town people. 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. A Muleshoe Mule is coaching the Sooners. I just knew there were things I wanted to try to do, he says. After two seasons as the Head Football Coach/Athletic Director at Muleshoe High School, Lee Walker has been reassigned. he led the Mules of Muleshoe, a town of . "Everybody in town knows him," she said. 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. The older he got is when I was more impressed with him. Jalen Hurts could be next for the Sooners. Here's a look back at his Muleshoe, Texas roots. When I hired him, Lincoln was the youngest full-time assistant in the country, but he had been with me as a student assistant and a GA for about six years and did a tremendous job, so I had no reservation about hiring him.. 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. Never mind that Riley was only 19 years old. The streak ends this year. Richards comes to Muleshoe from Flour Bluff High School in Corpus Christi, where he served as offensive coordinator. 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. And sometimes he'd double back and explain to me what I was missing.". Wood said he envisioned his quarterback working someday for NASA. They just didnt know how to do it.. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, USC hires Lincoln Riley: Complete coverage of Trojans shocking coaching move, extended this week all the way to the state Senate, Lincoln Riley jetted for USC, and Oklahoma is left to furiously wonder why, Breaking down the USC roster Lincoln Riley inherits, Rileys arrival signifies a triumphant return, USC football coaches: Glory and gaffes, from Gloomy Gus to Lincoln Riley, Roundtable: Our March Madness projections for UCLA, USC and others. Notice something in common about the starting quarterbacks for Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State and Georgia entering this?... Something in common about the starting quarterbacks for Alabama, Clemson, muleshoe football coach State Georgia... All about him take over as head coach hometown folks, is an inconvenient truth hes a great, dad! 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