Opportunity summons young gun Riley

By Brian Bailey
©2015 Bonesville.net
All rights reserved.

OOOOk-lahoma, where the wind comes sweepin' down the plain,

And the wavin' wheat can sure smell sweet, When the wind comes right behind the rain…

East Carolina offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley is singing a new tune today. Riley has departed the ECU program and will join Oklahoma Sooners coach Bob Stoops in Norman.

Oddly enough, Riley reportedly turned down Stoops’ brother Mark at Kentucky when that job was open last month.

The news first broke on Sunday night when a television reporter in Oklahoma said his sources told him the deal was done. Confirmation on the East Carolina end didn’t come until shortly after noon on Monday.

The Lincoln Riley era ended on a rainy afternoon in Greenville.

Riley came to Greenville at the ripe old age of 26, as the youngest coordinator in all of Division I football. The “boy wonder” quickly went to work shaping an up-tempo offense that looked to throw the football. The running game proved to be equally as important in the Riley offense, which set school records from the very first day.

Riley leaves an East Carolina program that he led to the five best single-season passing marks in school history. Four of the five top the total offense list for the school. The Pirate offense amassed almost 7,000 yards in 2014.

Riley had said on a number of occasions that he was very happy at ECU and that he would only leave if a “life-changing” opportunity opened up.

It looks like that life-changer came in the form of the offer from Bob Stoops.

Pirate head coach Ruffin McNeill had this to say about the move in a prepared statement from East Carolina:

"We're excited for Lincoln and believe this opportunity is both a testament to our program and his leadership. It's difficult to say goodbye to a loyal friend and brother who has been with me through success and adversity, but I’m confident Lincoln's move will bring him one step closer to his goal of becoming a head football coach. The Pirate Nation will miss Lincoln and we wish him and his family nothing but the very best.”

McNeill is now in the market for Riley’s replacement.

On the current ECU staff you would have to think that both Donnie Kirkpatrick and Dave Nichol would be considered.

Kirkpatrick has head coaching experience and has always been the straightest of shooters with fans and the media. Nichol, like Riley, is considered a great, young offensive mind.

Running backs coach Kirk Doll also has a wealth of experience on that side of the football.

Continuity on the coaching staff has been a key to this program’s success. The last time Ruffin McNeill needed a coordinator he went with veteran Rick Smith to replace Brian Mitchell. Smith has done a great job in improving the Pirate defense.

Ruff took his time in hiring Smith and I suspect he won’t rush into anything this time out, either.

As for Lincoln, the boy wonder was always thinking of ways to push the envelope to move the football down the field.

The move is reminiscent of the time when Mark Richt left Art Baker’s staff to become the offensive coordinator at Florida State. Richt parlayed that move into the head coaching job at Georgia years later.

There is no doubt that Lincoln Riley is on the fast track to a head coaching job.

Like Coach Ruff, I wish him and his family the very best. It was a great five years, but I expect the Pirates will continue to be good on offense.

Lincoln Riley, Shane Carden and Justin Hardy all leave together, and all leave behind great memories on offense.

Here’s looking forward to spring football practice, where we will get our first glimpse of this changing of the guard.

BB

E-mail Brian Bailey.