As soon as the news broke that longtime Oklahoma football head coach Bob Stoops was retiring, my mind immediately went to a familiar place.
I understood there wouldn't be a massive coaching search underway — and the Sooners' were in prime position for a seamless transition. Why was I so confident?
In my first paid sports writing gig, I covered East Carolina football for the East Carolinian, the school's campus newspaper. While the Pirates weren't well-known in a national sense, everyone in the state of N.C. understood something special was taking place. ECU's high-powered spread offense quickly became it's staple.
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It was implemented masterfully by a young offensive coordinator who most folks had never heard of. His name was Lincoln Riley — and when Stoops stepped down on Wednesday — the 33-year-old was announced as the new Oklahoma head coach.
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Is he ready?
Inevitably, those who aren't familiar with Riley and attempt a quick Google search will immediately jump to conclusions about his age. Let me be as clear as possible. From those early days at ECU to the recent success as the Sooners' offensive coordinator, Riley has always been regarded as one of the brightest, up-and-coming minds in college football. He's fully capable of stepping in at Oklahoma, and in all honesty, might be better suited to lead the Sooners right now than Bob Stoops at the tail-end of his career.
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What to expect?
On May 26, Tom Fornelli of CBS Sports wrote a piece titled "Ranking the top college football coaching candidates on the rise." That's some incredible foreshadowing by Fornelli, who ranked Riley as No. 1 on the list.
For me, the expectations for Riley at Oklahoma are clear. Here are a few traits where he shines the most.
Really Self Aware
It's insane to look at Riley's resume considering he hasn't even turned 34. His first season as the Sooners' front man will be his 15th as a college football coach, and he's been successful everywhere he's been. You can do the math, the dude was coaching when he was just 19, after making an incredibly tough decision that most athletes would never consider. For Riley, it was a no-brainer.
After suiting up for one year as a walk-on quarterback at Texas Tech, Riley quickly realized he wouldn't get much playing time and wisely opted to step away from the game as a player, but learn everything he could as student assistant.
In turn, he got a leg on every other aspiring college football coach in the country, while learning the nuances of offensive systems before most kids even finish their sophomore year. Impressive to say the least. He understands his strengths and weaknesses as good as anyone, a trait that will aid him as the Oklahoma front man.
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Gets the most out of his players
Just last season, Riley's prolific Oklahoma offense produced two Heisman Trophy finalists in QB Baker Mayfield and WR Dede Westbrook. Oh, and both of his running backs (Samaje Perine and Joe Mixon) both rushed for more than 1,000 yards in the same season. That's absolutely mind-blowing production from four different offensive players.
At East Carolina, Riley was always finding ways to utilize under-the-radar players with half the perceived skill set of Mayfield and Westrbook. Look no further than former East Carolina WR Justin Hardy who finished his career as the most productive pass-catcher in FBS history, with 387 catches, breaking the previous record set by Ryan Broyles.
Oh, and remember Zay Jones, the nation's leader in receiving yards in 2016? Jones flourished with the Pirates and was selected by the Buffalo Bills as the No. 37 overall pick in April's NFL Draft. Sure, Riley was long gone by the time Jones was regularly dominating the FBS, but he was the one that found the overlooked gem in the first place.
"My offensive coordinator, Lincoln Riley, told me there was this kid in Texas I just had to come see," former ECU head coach Ruffin McNeill told me in an interview earlier this year. "I went to watch him, and was just blown away."
Offensive Mastermind
Riley's prowess an an offensive mastermind is clearly his most notable trait. Every offense he touches turns to gold and he thrives at both designing plays, and calling them in pivotal in-game moments. Riley's 2016 Oklahoma offense led the nation in passing efficiency (mark of 193.79, set FBS record), and pass completion percentage (.706) and ranked second in total-offense (554.8 ypg), third in scoring offense (43.9 ppg), and third down conversion percentage (.515).
At ECU, his offense regularly earned top-10 national rankings such as passing offense (3rd in 2014, 8th 2010), scoring offense (5th in 2014, 8th in 2013), third-down percentage (7th in 2013), and red zone scoring (3rd in 2012, 5th in 2010).
It's abundantly clear Oklahoma is getting an offensive mastermind who has earned his keep and is ready for the job at hand. He will likely run the offense, while filling in his staff with the right folks to do the job (and keeping plenty in place that are there now). This is a home run for the Sooners.
