After five seasons coaching Oklahoma, Lincoln Riley is leaving Norman to become Southern California's next head coach, the university confirmed on Sunday evening.
We got our guy.Join us in welcoming @LincolnRiley and his family to Los Angeles!#FightOn✌️ pic.twitter.com/CHnhzHRFT6
— USC Football (@USC_FB) November 29, 2021
Yahoo Sports' Pete Thamel initially reported Riley's intentions to head to Los Angeles, with The Athletic's Bruce Feldman confirming. On3's Matt Zenitz also reports Riley informed his staff at OU of his departure on Sunday.
Expect an announcement on this in the 24 hours, per sources. The final details are being worked out. https://t.co/OqtP63a9Ml
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) November 28, 2021
BREAKING: Lincoln Riley is leaving OU to become the new head coach at USC, per sources. It is happening. HUGE get for the Trojans and the Pac-12. https://t.co/4008Dl0IR2 https://t.co/jYk68PrEzp
— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) November 28, 2021
Lincoln Riley just informed his staff at Oklahoma that he’s taking the head coaching job at USC, a source tells @On3sports
— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) November 28, 2021
“I am truly excited to come to USC and join the Trojan Family as its new head football coach. 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 USC on Sunday night.
"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. We will work hard to develop a physical football team that is dominant on both lines of scrimmage, and has a dynamic balanced offense and a stout aggressive defense."
The news comes as a surprise after Riley shot down festering rumors linking him to LSU's head coaching vacancy following his No. 10 Sooners' Bedlam loss to No. 7 Oklahoma State on Saturday night. With the defeat, OU fell short of its opportunity to compete for a seventh straight Big 12 title.
“My time at OU has included some of the most special years of my life and my family’s lives. I had so many great memories and made so many great friends that we’ll take with us forever," Riley said in a statement released by OU on Sunday night.
"A lot of things that we were a part of here, I’m incredibly proud of — the success on the field, the success off the field, the players. Proud of the staff. Proud of the way we worked so well with the university and our administration."
Bob Stoops, who coached the Sooners from 1999-2016 and led them to their most recent national championship in 2000, will become OU's interim head coach for its bowl game, he confirmed through a university statement on Sunday night. Stoops, who has been a television analyst for Fox College Football this season, still lives in Norman and comes to Oklahoma's practices regularly.
At USC, Riley replaces Clay Helton, who coached the Trojans to a 46-24 record before being fired on Sept. 13. Donte Williams has been acting as USC's interim head coach since Helton's departure.
Riley, whose contract at OU was worth $6.5 million, departs Norman with a 55-10 record. He led the Sooners to four Big 12 Championships and three College Football Playoff appearances. Riley also developed Heisman Trophy winners Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray and finalist Jalen Hurts, who’ve all become starting NFL quarterbacks.
“I want to thank the administration, coaches and players at Oklahoma for five incredible years as their head coach," Riley said in USC's release. "We accomplished some great things there and I will always cherish my time as a Sooner.”
USC will hold an introductory press conference for Riley at 5 p.m. CT on Monday. OU has scheduled its own press conference featuring Stoops, athletic director Joe Castiglione and President Joseph Harroz.
