Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley will reportedly be the next head coach of the USC Trojans and will not coach the Sooners' upcoming bowl game, according to The Athletic's Bruce Feldman.
Former Sooners head coach Bob Stoops is reportedly expected to be named interim head coach.
According to Feldman, talks between Riley and USC "really escalated" Saturday night into Sunday morning.
"For Riley, it was the appeal of Los Angeles, the local recruiting talent and the opportunity of trying to rebuild a brand," Feldman wrote. "That was all very enticing to him. He was also impressed with the alignment of the administration."
Riley informed the team and his coaching staff of his decision on Sunday, per Feldman. Stoops was in attendance for that meeting.
The news of Riley's decision comes after he vehemently denied rumors that he would be the next head coach at LSU following Oklahoma's 37-33 loss to Oklahoma State on Saturday.
The Sooners' loss to the Cowboys eliminated them from Big 12 title contention. They finished with a 10-2 record and third in the conference after losing the head-to-head tiebreaker with Baylor.
Riley had been head coach of the Sooners since 2017 and compiled a 55-10 record. The Sooners won the Big 12 in his first four seasons at the helm, and he also led the team to three College Football Playoff appearances.
Riley will replace Clay Helton at USC. Helton, who was fired in September, was in his seventh full season with the Trojans (he was the interim head coach for one game in 2013) before being canned just two games into the 2021 campaign.
USC finished the 2021 season 4-7 and fourth in the Pac-12 South behind Utah, Arizona State and UCLA.
Stoops, meanwhile, coached the Sooners from 1999-2016, compiling a 190-48 record in that span and a 9-9 record in bowl games. He hired Riley as his offensive coordinator in 2015 and pushed for him to be named the team's next head coach in 2017.
Stoops has been working as a panelist for Fox Sports's college football team. According to 247Sports, he had been linked to USC and Florida's head coaching vacancies but expressed interest in remaining with Fox.
Bob Stoops returned to the sidelines as the interim head coach for Oklahoma and led the Sooners to a 47-32 Alamo Bowl victory over Oregon on Wednesday. Stoops coached the Sooners from 1999 to 2016 and helped the team win the 2000 national championship.
The bowl was the first game for the Sooners since the departure of head coach Lincoln Riley to USC. The Oklahoma vacancy was filled by former Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables.
During a high-scoring second quarter, the biggest moment came when Oklahoma quarterback Caleb Williams found junior receiver Drake Stoops for a 6-yard touchdown. Stoops then received a congratulatory hug from his dad on the sideline. Drake's twin brother Isaac was also alongside their father as a student assistant for Oklahoma. The Sooners led 30-3 at halftime and cruised from then on.
Williams finished 21-of-27 for 242 yards with three touchdowns. After the game, meeting with reporters for the first time since joining OU, Williams didn't reveal whether he plans to stay with the Sooners under their new staff.
Junior running back Kennedy Brooks had 14 carries for 142 yards with three touchdowns.
Oregon quarterback Anthony Brown was 27-of-40 for 306 yards with three touchdowns. Running back Travis Dye added 153 yards on the ground with one touchdown.
Oklahoma finished the season ranked at No. 16 with an 11-2 record. Oregon closed 10-4 ranked at No. 14.
(Photo: Eric Gay / AP)
GO DEEPER
Oklahoma Alamo Bowl takeaways: A cathartic night for Bob Stoops-led Sooners, but Caleb Williams says of future, ‘we’ll see’
Assessing Bob Stoops' return to the sideline
Jason Kersey, Oklahoma beat writer: The game had some ups and downs — Oklahoma's defense let Oregon run free for much of the second half — but this was an unambiguously great night for the Sooners, especially after the month this program has had.
Stoops got to ride off into the sunset with a pretty convincing win, putting a stamp on a month in which he's only added to his legacy. Oklahoma got a nice boost heading into the offseason. Stoops called Brent Venables, the new head coach, to the stage and symbolically handed over his visor. A new era is set to begin at Oklahoma.
What's next for Caleb Williams?
Kersey: Williams, who met with reporters for the first time since arriving in Norman, did not make any firm declarations about his future intentions. He praised the team and the Brent Venables hire, but declined to detail what he's thinking with regard to his future. But Venables, when he joined Bob Stoops on the postgame stage, referenced "Caleb Williams leading our offense."
It's of the utmost importance for Venables and new offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby to keep Williams in the fold. Williams, a former five-star prospect, showed flashes of incredible potential this season and keeping him in Norman would be a major coup for the new coaching staff.
Bob Stoops is returning as the head coach at Oklahoma for one game in the wake of Lincoln Riley’s departure, and the Sooners legend will be paid handsomely for his services.
Oklahoma president Joe Harroz said on Thursday that Stoops will be paid $325,000 to coach the team from now until its bowl game, which will likely be the Alamo Bowl on Dec. 29. That salary is based on Riley’s former contract with the school. Harroz says Stoops tried to refuse the money, but Oklahoma will pay him anyway.
Stoops is being paid $325,000, a salary Harroz said is based on Riley’s pay.
— Jason Kersey (@jasonkersey) December 2, 2021
In what is quickly morphing into one of the Sooners’ darkest hours of recent memory, Oklahoma is turning to a familiar face for at least a temporary calming influence.
Buy Sooners TicketsLegendary former OU head coach Bob Stoops is back to serve as interim head coach for the Sooners’ bowl game. After a 10-2 regular season in which Oklahoma fell short of qualifying for the Big 12 championship game, Lincoln Riley sent a jolt into the college football world by leaving Norman.
It isn’t Baton Rouge. It’s sunny Los Angeles. USC swung for the fences with Riley and delivered.
The move leaves Oklahoma scrambling here with mere days before the Early Signing Period commences on Dec. 15. Sooner commitments are dropping like flies.
Of course, the larger question is who is the longterm solution as the new head coach in Norman? In the meantime, OU went to its bullpen and called upon Stoops to lead Oklahoma for the time being.
I can confirm Bob Stoops will serve as interim head coach for the #Sooners bowl game. Stoops was in the team meeting during which the players were informed of Riley’s departure //t.co/KYYMbnqoBZ
— Jason Kersey (@jasonkersey) November 28, 2021
“First and foremost, I’m a program guy and whatever I can do to help OU and to support the players, of course I’m glad to do it. I’ll do everything I can to help them finish the season in a strong and successful way and I certainly look forward to that. Lincoln did a great job in his five years as head coach here and I appreciate all he did for this program. I’ll always appreciate the close friendship we’ve had and will continue to have. I wish the best for him, Caitlin and their family,” Stoops said in a statement yesterday.
OU president Joseph Harroz noted that Sooner football isn’t defined by one single individual.
“Though we’ve had stars and icons throughout the years, Sooner football isn’t defined by any one individual, but by the excellence we have enjoyed and sustained for generations. Our future is unlimited, and we will undoubtedly find a visionary leader for our next exciting chapter. Until then, we’re fortunate to be in the tremendous hands of Sooner legend Coach Bob Stoops. Boomer!” Harroz said.
Oklahoma athletic director Joe Castiglione said that Stoops is ready for the opportunity to help bridge this gap for the university.
“Coach Stoops, who will be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame next week, will serve as our interim head coach. He is looking forward to the opportunity and we certainly appreciate all he has done and continues to do for our athletics department and football program. Our team and players are in great hands under his leadership. When we met with the team today, I communicated to our players that our program is about them. It will always be bigger than any one person. And just as it’s always been, Oklahoma football is positioned for greatness,” Castiglione said.
Stoops stepped down following the 2016 season. After a 1-2 start that year with losses coming against Houston and Ohio State, OU ripped off 10 consecutive wins to finish as Big 12 champions and beat Auburn in the Sugar Bowl.
Baker Mayfield passed for 296 yards and a pair of touchdowns in that Sugar Bowl win over Auburn. Running backs Joe Mixon and Samaje Perine finished with 91 and 86 rushing yards, respectively. Mixon had a pair of rushing touchdowns against Auburn, while Perine found the end zone once.
Oklahoma is set to hold an official press conference today at 3 p.m. where Harroz, Castiglione and Stoops will meet with the media.
If only for one bowl game, Stoops is back in charge of the Crimson and Cream.
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