STILLWATER — Following No. 10 Oklahoma's back breaking 37-33 loss at Oklahoma State on Saturday, head coach Lincoln Riley again denied the rumors linking him to LSU's head coaching vacancy.
"I'm not going to be the next head coach at LSU," Riley said. "Next question."
Riley has been linked to the Tigers since around Nov. 9 when he missed his usual Tuesday press conference due to a "personal matter." On Nov. 15 he denied contact between his camp and LSU and affirmed his feelings about OU.
LSU (6-6) is looking to replace Ed Orgeron, who agreed to part ways with the university on Oct. 17. Previously, Orgeron coached the Tigers to the 2019 national championship and a Peach Bowl victory over the Sooners.
In response to a follow up question, Riley refuted rumblings that he's skeptical about the future of OU's athletic department and might be looking for greater stability elsewhere.
"No concerns about our administration," Riley said. Our (athletic director), our president, we've been through a lot together. This isn't our first rodeo together. So, we always have conversations about the future and certainly, with all that's getting ready, that's changing right now in the college landscape, all that's getting ready to change for us at some point here, we transition into a new conference those are always conversations that we're going to have. We'll be having those yearly.
"No matter what, all of us are trying to make this place better, make this program better. And so you don't do that without working together, conversing with each other. And so of course, we're going to continue to do that. We work well together and we're going to keep working well together."
With Riley and the Sooners' slip up against OSU, they were held from the opportunity to win their seventh straight Big 12 title. Instead, Oklahoma State will face Baylor for the conference crown on Dec. 4. What's more, OU might've played its last Bedlam in Stillwater for a while, as the Sooners are poised to transition to the SEC no later than 2025.
Riley boasts a 55-10 record in five seasons as OU's head coach and has led the Sooners to four Big 12 Championships and three College Football Playoff appearances.
