Oklahoma Sooners coach Lincoln Riley is leaving Norman for the head-coaching vacancy at USC, as the Trojans officially announced the hiring Sunday evening. Talks between USC and Riley escalated late Saturday night and into Sunday morning, sources told The Athletic's Bruce Feldman.
"Leaving OU was probably the most difficult decision of my life," Riley said in a statement released through Oklahoma late Sunday. "OU is one of the best college football programs in the country, and it has been forever. That's not going to change. ... This was a personal decision solely based on my willingness to go take on a new challenge, and I felt like it was the right opportunity for me and my family to do that.
"I'll be a Sooner fan as long as I live — a fan of this state, of this university and the people here. I love them all very much."
In USC, Riley found the appeal of Los Angeles, the local recruiting talent and the opportunity to rebuild a brand enticing, sources said. He was also impressed with the alignment of the administration.
"USC has an unparalleled football tradition with tremendous resources and facilities, and the administration has made a deep commitment to winning," Riley said in a statement released by the Trojans. "I look forward to honoring that successful tradition and building on it.
"The pieces are in place for us to build the program back to where it should be and the fans expect it to be."
Riley, 38, went 55-10 during his OU tenure. The Sooners ranked in the top 10 in each of his years and have made the College Football Playoff four times since he joined the program in 2015, though Oklahoma is 0-4 in its appearances. Riley is known for his offensive mind and work with quarterbacks including Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray.
The Sooners coaching staff learned of Riley's move on Sunday, a source told The Athletic. The team was informed this afternoon during a meeting, sources said. Riley attended, as did former coach Bob Stoops, who will coach the Sooners in their remaining bowl game. Riley will transition immediately to USC, although Donte Williams will remain interim head coach for Saturday's game at Cal.
Oklahoma athletic director Joe Castiglione released a statement thanking Riley for his successful tenure. He added, "Our team and players are in great hands under (Stoops') leadership. When we met with the team today, I communicated to our players that our program is about them. It will always be bigger than any one person."
The Sooners just wrapped up their 2021 regular season with a loss to in-state rival Oklahoma State on Saturday to finish 10-2. After the loss, Riley shot down speculation that he would be the next head coach at LSU.
Riley is making $7.67 million this season at OU, the fifth-highest salary in college football, according to USA Today. Clay Helton, whom Riley is replacing, had a salary of around $4.8 million with the Trojans.
This will be Oklahoma's first real coaching search since Stoops was hired in 1999, as Stoops hired Riley as his offensive coordinator in 2015 and then helped choose him as his successor in 2017.
The recruiting impact is already being felt at Oklahoma. On Sunday, the school lost the commitment of 2023 five-star receiver Brandon Inniss and 2023 four-star running back Treyaun Webb.
(Photo: Brian Bahr / Getty Images)
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