With him, that hasnt been forgotten.. Muleshoe, just 22 miles from the New Mexico border, is home to the National Mule Memorial. 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. "I get back as often as I can," Riley said via cellphone after a morning practice last week in Norman, Okla. "It always will be a special place I carry with me," he said. One of those guys, not necessarily write things down. There was some nervous energy, Riley says. Jason Richards grew up in Clovis, New Mexico knowing about Muleshoe, which was only about 30 miles from his hometown. Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley answers a question during a news conference in August. He played out the year on the defensive line instead. Riley, like many young coaches, has grown over the years. It can be backbreaking work. Under Walkers leadership, the Mules went 1-19 over the two seasons. Former Mule Jaxon Lee, an AP all-state first team lineman for the squad, rounds out the new hires as the defensive line coach. The Rennels' house on West 3rd Street is conveniently located just down from Muleshoe High, whose Friday night football games the station videotapes for continuous airings on Saturdays and Sundays. In a back corner booth at Leals, where cowboy hats line the front walkway and tables are filling ahead of the lunch rush, Bob Graves is still sorting out his emotions over fresh-baked tortilla chips. Plus, he has the trust of his predecessor. And maybe after a few recruiting classes keeping Southern California talent at home Riley will be in a better position to take down the goliaths of the SEC by facing them in the playoff rather than tussling with them during the entire regular season. Cheerleading Sponsor Cheyanne Cage. And I think the value of honesty from my parents and in the community, those were things that people expected of you and took pride in. He brought belief and hope. quarterback, led the Mules 400 miles to a Class 3A state semifinal game at Texas Stadium in Irving. HomeDirectoryPhotosAboutContactAdvertise. As impressed as Wood was with his Muleshoe quarterback's ability on the field, he was just as amazed by his off-the-field work. 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. Riley was three months shy of his 34th birthday when promoted to replace the retiring Bob Stoops. {{start_at_rate}} {{format_dollars}} {{start_price}} {{format_cents}} {{term}}, {{promotional_format_dollars}}{{promotional_price}}{{promotional_format_cents}} {{term}}, Nebraska cheerleader competes by herself at state competition, but crowd doesn't let her feel alone, Jim Inhofe looks back on his career: 'I really wanted to make a difference, and I did', State superintendent questions whether Oklahoma students should attend state colleges and universities, 'They don't make them like her anymore': Historic 1914 bungalow in The Heights restored with love, Bed Bath & Beyond to close two stores in Tulsa, Former NFL star Chad Johnson says he saved money by living inside Cincinnati Bengals stadium for 2 years, Gatesway Hot Air Balloon Festival returning after 6-year hiatus, Last day for Utica Square store is Friday, Meet the 2023 Mr. Inside/Mr. He wasnt afraid to change things up, to do things different from what had been done there. Greatness, yes. Mayfield and Murray became the No. Lincoln and I had many thoughts he prepared us that way. Riley is a quarterback whisperer, and Southern California is a five-star quarterback assembly line. The only time they were away was when they attended the University of Texas. Hes ready to be a part of that city and what comes with it. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. Garrett Riley is taking over the Clemson offense after winning the Broyles Award as the nation's top assistant this past season. Ask anyone in Muleshoe about Lincoln, whose first name is enough around these parts, and they swell with pride. Lincoln has a photographic memory, and when I say that, I really mean it., David Wood, Lincoln Rileys football coach at Muleshoe High. He was just brilliant. 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The people in Muleshoe say they didn't know Riley was headed for gridiron greatness. As soon as Bob Stoops handpicked Riley to coach the quarterbacks and run the offense at Oklahoma in 2015, Riley began to prove what he had already shown at East Carolina in Conference USA: The guy knows how to motivate and prepare players at footballs most important position. 1. Pride Football camp starts Monday morning. So how'd he end up as Oklahoma's headcoach? But truth be told, Horsley never really was an integral thread in the town's fabric. District 514 W. Ave G Muleshoe, Texas . But like L.A., they have complete faith now that Lincoln Riley will deliver. David Wood was Riley's high school football coach. The streak ends this year. I just wanted to build on people that wanted to be in Muleshoe and want to get things going again.. Atwood, who was one of the four, recalls that the boys were caught as soon as they descended the water tower. The two weeks since that decision have been a whirlwind in both Los Angeles and Muleshoe, even if the definition differs in both places. Lincoln has a photographic memory, and when I say that, I really mean it.. Note: Lincoln Riley turns 35 years old today. Muleshoe went 1-19 in the two years preceding head coach Jason Richards' arrival. Things got so bad that during Mike Riley's sophomore year. "The value of hard work - I think the community has always been built on that. Im fired up. 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. Mike and Marilyn Riley had to settle for the revelry generated in their hometown. Muleshoe (locals pronounce it mule-SHOE), named in honor of a nearby ranch and developed in 1913 to take advantage of commerce sure to come with newly laid railroad tracks linking Lubbock to New Mexico, was back on the map. Riley was on the football and track teams at Muleshoe (Tex.) 877-845-6272. 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. As the young mayor explains, change often comes to town at a particularly cautious pace. Still, they somehow became aware of each other at basketball games while playing for rival high schools. Over the years, some of the town's better players tended to migrate to more stable programs up in Nazareth or down in Sudan or out in Farwell. Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley already has made inroads in Southern California football recruiting, which should help him bolster USCs talent pool. "School was not his primary motivation," Marilyn Riley said. Conventional wisdom might tell you to stay in that, thats what you do, and I certainly think that wouldve turned out just fine. "I don't think they would havehad to pay him," his father Mike said. He was a defensive end as a sophomore, but took over the offense in his final two seasons which included one state semifinal finish. I think you always have a chance at Oklahoma, but a lot of things have got to go well.". Lincoln is also well-known for being the Oklahoma Sooners' head football coach. But Riley is able to handle the job while spending time with his daughters, Sloan and Stella. Muleshoe football, as Riley remembers, was one of the worst programs in the entire state of Texas for a long time.. (Courtesy of Bryan Terry / The Oklahoman). He was a walk-on quarterback at Texas Tech in the spring and summer of 2003 before starting his coaching career as a student assistant there under head coach Mike Leach for three seasons (2003-05), working with the offense. Coaches came and went. I would put those at the top of the list.". Everyone knows everyone, especially the Muleshoe native whose hiring as OUs coach created shockwaves throughout the college football world. How did Lincoln Riley zoom from Muleshoe High School to the Sooners new head coach? USC sent shock waves through the sports world when it hired Oklahomas Lincoln Riley as its football coach. 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 the beginning, it was because he was the only guy that was around to watch film with me.. The town is quiet on a recent Saturday afternoon as Colt Ellis, Muleshoes 31-year-old mayor, locks up at the family funeral home and leads an out-of-town visitor on a tour in his pick-up truck. One asset he had last year that he is without this season is Mayfield, who was selected No. He had a big following when he was coming through high school. There was a reason theyd come this far. 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