By Reid Coleman

Since the start of the 2021 college football season, there have been over 28 head coaching changes. However, out of all of the changes, one recent one stands out among the rest. 

On November 28, Lincoln Riley decided to leave Oklahoma University and become the head football coach at University of Southern California. 

Riley coaching on the sideline at Oklahoma. Photo credit: Matt Zemek.

Riley was 55-10 in his five seasons at Oklahoma, along with four Big 12 Championships and three appearances in the College Football Playoff. Also in his time at Oklahoma, Riley produced two Heisman winners and one Heisman Finalist: quarterbacks Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray, and Jalen Hurts. 

However, this past season was the first year in which Riley failed to win the Big 12 Championship. Along with that, the Sooners underwent a quarterback change six weeks into the season when Riley benched sophomore quarterback and pre-season Heisman favorite Spencer Rattler for true freshman Caleb Williams. The change came after continued poor play by Rattler, who faced extremely high expectations before the season. Because of his struggles, the quarterback change was popular among Sooner fans who often booed Rattler throughout the season. 

It might have been an off year for Riley, but still, the Sooners were 10-2 and primed for a big season next year with quarterback Caleb Williams. So why did Riley leave and break the hearts of the Sooner faithful?

In fact, Sooner fans, students, and even players felt devastated and betrayed at the decision by Riley. Tight end Brayden Wills tweeted, “Well dam.” Defensive back Jeremiah Criddel tweeted, “Sick to my stomach.” Meanwhile, fans such as sports writer Skip Bayless also tweeted and expressed their discontent with Riley and the fact that he was most likely talking with USC and crafting a deal with them while still coaching the Sooners. 

A “Traitor” sign put up at University of Oklahoma by students. Photo credit: KFOR News.

Fans such as Eolo Nizzi expressed their discontent and said that they felt “Disappointment… and then anger” towards Riley. Also, upon the first news of the decision, students put up two large signs on school monuments that said “Traitor.”

So what was so enticing about the USC head coaching job? After all, USC is 4-8 and having one of its worst seasons ever. 

In a statement released by Oklahoma, Riley said that it “was the most difficult decision of my life… This was a personal decision solely based on my willingness to go take on a new challenge, and I felt like it was the right opportunity for me and my family to do that.” 

Riley is receiving a very lucrative contract from USC, possibly “the greatest in sports history.” Along with the massive contract and being able to live in Los Angeles, Riley will also be competing in the Pac-12. Meanwhile, this coming season, Oklahoma decided to move to the SEC, commonly considered the best conference in the nation. Therefore, at USC, Riley will be playing much easier competition in the Pac-12 than he would have been if he had stayed at Oklahoma. So Riley will have a much easier time at USC. 

College football reporter Ari Wasseman tweeted that, “It makes sense for Lincoln Riley. Go out to SoCal, recruit your butt off, live in LA, join a winnable conference and stay out of the SEC. Oh, and get paaaaid. Makes a lot of sense to me.” 

So far, many of the previous recruiting commitments of Oklahoma’s recruiting classes have decommitted from the school. Some have simply decommitted, but others, like five-star quarterback Malachi Nelson, have flipped their commitments from Oklahoma to USC and followed Riley. The Sooners, though, still have 13 verbal commitments in their 2022 recruiting class, and they have finally hired a new head coach in Brent Venables, the defensive coordinator at Clemson for the past ten years. 

However, for the Sooners’ final bowl game against Oregon, legendary former Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops will fill in. 

Next year, be on the lookout for a new Sooners team under new head coach Venables in the powerhouse SEC. It will also be interesting to see how Riley tries to transform the USC football program.