Wood, determined to put an end to the exodus, noticed a seventh-grader playing at the junior high with "lots [of] football smarts" if not lots of blue-chip skills. Lincoln is also well-known for being the Oklahoma Sooners' head football coach. Jason Richards grew up in Clovis, New Mexico knowing about Muleshoe, which was only about 30 miles from his hometown. Please subscribe to keep reading. "Everybody in town knows him," she said. 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. Riley isnt known only as the OU head coach. He raced through his homework as soon as he got to the house simply so he could get back to football as quickly as possible, his mother recalled. 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. Mike and Marilyn Riley have lived in Muleshoe all of their lives. 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. And mirages! Its something that hes excited about. Lincoln Riley's father doesn't seem to be a big talker. 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. Head Cross Country/Head Girls Powerlifting Coach . I am a Haskell Indian Nations University graduate. Im fired up. His coaching career would soon take off into the stratosphere, leading him to East Carolina, then Oklahoma and now USC, but Riley was already a star in Muleshoe. Still, the savvy proprietor of the town's only cable station can't possibly know what stories might fall into her lap for the three times a week Muletrain report on her family-operated Channel 6. While its Richards hope he can turn that around, hes made it a point to implement a program that doesnt discuss wins, but rather make sure the Mules master the things that take no talent., Having a great attitude, having great energy, being where your feet are, doing the best, he explained. His immediate retirement plan is . Oklahoma football head coach Lincoln Riley hugs quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) after the Sooners won the Big 12 title last December in Arlington, Texas. They clearly remained friends throughout the years. Richards maintained most of the coaching staff while hiring on four new coaches, all of whom either have a connection to Muleshoe or a general knowledge of west Texas. During the season, itll be harder because hell be gone before they are awake and theyll be asleep before he gets home. "We had great success there throughout our years. 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. Theres something about being raised in a small town, said his wife, Caitlin Riley. Lincoln knows exactly what the heck hes doing. Wes Wood, the coachs son who led the Mules to a state title as quarterback in 2008, said that season cemented Riley as his childhood hero. You can cancel at any time. After two years as OUs offensive coordinator, hell take over as head coach. 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. But the rest of Muleshoe moves at a crawl. They just didnt know how to do it.. "I really . It's also home to two of the greatest offensive minds in college football. 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. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft during back-to-back seasons. No matter what he decided to go into, whether it was coaching or science or math, whatever he wanted to do, I knew he'd be going somewhere and it would be pretty special. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley watches the Sooners play Iowa State on Nov. 20. Weve been busy, but weve enjoyed every day., I cover the University of Oklahoma football and mens basketball teams. After coaching for 14 years, the Clovis native got his dream job and was named the Mules head football coach and athletic director in February. They embraced whats good for it. Eight years later, on the brink of that state championship, Riley returned to Muleshoe High for a pep rally. I wish I could have recorded Lincoln with how smooth, precise and decisive he was on that night of the game, McNeill said. The selection committee sorted through 112 applications and interviewed six applicants on Jan. 22 and 23 before determining that Richards would be their choice. Riley was on the football and track teams at Muleshoe (Tex.) Later, when his younger brother, Garrett, quarterbacked the team, Wood consulted with Lincoln about their offense. The Mules are set to kickoff the 2021 football team on Friday night by hosting Sundown. Rogers returned in 1934, an international celebrity. "To see him grow and develop into what he's become, it's pretty remarkable. Hidden facts about Muleshoe, the best restaurants discovered while recruiting and plenty more fun with Coach Riley on this week's Fifth Quarter! Richards comes to Muleshoe from Flour Bluff High School in Corpus Christi, where he served as offensive coordinator. fellow students never quite understood, she said. In Muleshoe, no one needs any convincing. 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. At USC, expectations are already soaring. Thats coming from a program last year (where) we had a sophomore that just got offers from OU, OSU and Texas A&M, Richards said of Flour Bluff offensive guard Johnny Dickson. That was pretty exciting.. For Riley's part, Muleshoe was good to him, providing the setting for a solid upbringing, a town where a boy who would someday lead one of the nation's most famous college football programs could learn lessons that shaped him. The day he interviewed, Wood recalls, there were three fights in the schools halls. Registration is at 7:15 to 8:00 at the football field first session is for incoming . , Victor marveled at how much time the older brother spent tutoring elementary school aged Garrett on the football field. Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley yells from the sideline during a game. No matter how Riley and the Sooners fare, the 105-year-old town of Muleshoe will be proud of him. 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. Which brings us to our next topic . Richards comes to Muleshoe from Flour Bluff High School in Corpus Christi, where he served as offensive coordinator. "He loved the job and was used to working for nothing.". No telling if the city founders had any inkling the name might itself become a celebrity of sorts. For many coaches, its difficult to turn the football mind off. He always has. While Riley stayed loyal to McNeill, he also wanted to make sure his next jump was the proper one. 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. In 1996, David Wood inherited a Muleshoe program that hadn't posted a winning record in 13 years. You just have a lot of pride in the town and in the people. Now that Riley is a head coach, it probably is harder. Some speculate the injury mightve changed his trajectory, but the next season, Riley led Muleshoe to new heights as its quarterback anyway. CALL. 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. We were so close in age, it became a friendship, but he was a friend I respected. From what I understand, Graves says, he wants to build his own program.. One newcomer Richards is excited about is Nic Reyes, a 5-foot-11, 275-pound sophomore offensive lineman. Former Mule Jaxon Lee, an AP all-state first team lineman for the. Which brings us to our next topic . Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. His grandfather Claude Riley, who is 97 and lives at the nursing home with his wife, Evelyn, 89, was a quarterback there, as well. a job as an assistant coach who worked with receivers. Sure, maybe they wouldnt have chosen California as their favorite sons next step. Kyle Atwood, a close friend and Rileys leading receiver in high school, expects USC flags to be flying in town soon enough. Outside candidates. His youth has been a positive, especially on the recruiting trail. Its like Christmas Eve and Im 6 years old. At the helm of an I-formation, pro-style attack that bears no resemblance to the offense he ran at Oklahoma and will bring to USC, Riley led the Mules to an undefeated regular season in 2000. Few believed it at first. Riley is pure Muleshoe. 0:46 The Muleshoe Mules had a combined 1-20 record in the two years preceding the hiring of head football coach and athletic director Jason Richards in January 2020. All rights reserved. The two weeks since that decision have been a whirlwind in both Los Angeles and Muleshoe, even if the definition differs in both places. Head Boys Powerlifting Coach Jaxon Lee. He wanted to win in the classroom like he won on the field.". Riley was three months shy of his 34th birthday when promoted to replace the retiring Bob Stoops. Muleshoe will always be my special village. Fortunately, there is a simple, dependable, go-to staple for slow news cycles at Channel 6. Even in the classroom, when the teacher was giving notes, he'd just soak it in. When Riley was a freshman, the Mules won 10, including a playoff game. It shaped who I am, Riley says. Riley shadowed Leach, a noted night owl, as much as he could. CALL. That's part of the challenge you look forward to tackling.". But its also a dream come true. Notice something in common about the starting quarterbacks for Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State and Georgia entering this year? It was so sudden, Graves says. Muleshoe Journal Correspondent. He was telling me about some other opportunities that were in the foresight of his career. Riley was on the football and track teams at Muleshoe (Tex.) Garrett Riley is taking over the Clemson offense after winning the Broyles Award as the nation's top assistant this past season. to try to lead the Mules out of the desert. Garrett, six years younger than his brother, is currently the quarterbacks coach at, But on this Tuesday, the first day of August, Mike Riley is sporting a crimson. "It's just this year's team," he said. Will Rogers was a restless 18-year-old in 1898 when he signed on to be a cowboy for the sprawling Mashed O Ranch, which covered parts of Lamb and Bailey counties in the Texas Panhandle. And it's no mirage. "But he had a really good memory, was really good at math and he was very competitive. I told him youd better get in shape because youre probably not going to get a down off, Richards said. "But he was the kind of athlete you wanted running the show. Georgia was one of them. How USC trainers saved Vincent Iwuchukwu after cardiac arrest, How Lindsay Gottlieb blends family into USCs once-in-a-lifetime season. Hes going to kind of do everything.. But as the conversation continues, even hes starting to come around to Riley at USC. (Reyes) is a stud. Hard-working. Despite Muleshoes noted success, the squad hit a rough patch, winning just six games over the past three years. Riley, like many young coaches, has grown over the years. As a junior in 2000 he helped the Mules reach the state semifinals, where they lost to Forney at the Dallas Cowboys' old home Texas Stadium in Irving. The Red Raiders beat Michigan State 41-31 on that day. With a coach of Rileys pedigree now leading the Trojans, the Pac-12 is unquestionably now USCs for the taking in the coming years. No one thought it was possible, Riley remembers. "We were Tech fans here because it's close," Todd, the undertaker, announced. 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. 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. 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. "Each year presents new challenges, but there are parts of the job and all the things that come with it that I'm a little more settled in with for sure.". But everyone here trusts Lincoln. They were some complex plays as complex as you can be at 11.. 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. Makes a lot of people feel good., Wood -- who also coached Lincoln's brother, Garrett, when the Mules won the 2008 Class 2A Division I state championship with the younger Riley quarterbacking -- said he was surprised that Stoops stepped down, but didn't surprise me (OU) named Lincoln the head coach. It was a Sunday afternoon game decided by a Hail Mary on the final play. Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley already has made inroads in Southern California football recruiting, which should help him bolster USCs talent pool. 3 games every Oklahoma fan should circle on the calendar; full season predictions for 2017. He was brought up in Muleshoe after all, raised with its good Christian values. Garrett Riley, Lincolns brother, said he had a little bit of an instinct that something like that may happen. But even he learned his brother took the USC job via social media. He was selling him to me, Stoops said at the time. 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