Former Bombers coach tackles new challenge in fledgling U.S. league
Mike Riley still isn’t sure why he left Winnipeg to come here three decades ago.
He was a 30-something CFL coaching phenom with two Grey Cup championships in four years as the Blue Bombers bench boss. He and his wife Dee loved Winnipeg, where Riley walked so proudly in the footsteps of his legendary father Bud, who coached there a decade earlier.
But the World League of American Football came calling and the young, adventurous Riley was hooked.
“A guy I really respected, John Peterson, who had been with the Ottawa Rough Riders, got the job in San Antonio. Tom Landry was part-owner. The Benson family, who own the (New Orleans) Saints, were involved. So I just did it. I just kind of did it and I wonder to this day why,” Riley said.
“I’m glad I did. It opened some doors. But we loved Winnipeg. I am getting to that point in life where that might be past me, but I never closed that door. I tell people to this day that might be near the top of my list of the best jobs I ever had.”
The WLAF experiment didn’t last long, as the league suspended play in 1992, but Riley landed on his feet the following season at the University of Southern California, one of 15 stops on his football odyssey.
Today, at age 65, he’s back for Round 2 in San Antonio. He’s the head coach of the Commanders, one of eight franchises in (yet another) kick at the spring football can.
With Super Bowl LIII in the books, the Alliance of American Football launches into the void on four fronts this weekend. The Commanders host the San Diego Fleet Saturday at the Alamodome, while the Atlanta Legends visit the Orlando Apollos. On Sunday, the Memphis Express travels to Birmingham, Ala., to battle the Iron and the Arizona Hotshots host the Salt Lake Stallions.
Will the AAF plug a hole in the calendar with football worth watching on CBS and the NFL Network? That’s the hope being sold by league co-founders Bill Polian and Charlie Ebersol.
Riley bought the vision after a call from his old friend Polian. They worked together under then-head coach Cal Murphy in Winnipeg. Polian called Riley last March before the San Antonio franchise was even confirmed.
“I thought if Bill is going to get involved in it, it’s not going to be just some haphazard deal,” said Riley. “He’s a Hall of Famer. He was tremendous to work for in Canada. He was a Hall of Fame general manager in the NFL. He doesn’t really need this.
“Then I saw that (Steve) Spurrier is going to coach, (Mike) Singletary is going to coach and Rick Neuheisel, who I really respect and admire. Dennis Erickson, who is going into the College Football Hall of Fame, he’s going to coach. And Mike Martz.”
Riley’s staff has both CFL and San Antonio connections. Bill Bradley coached for him and Kenny Watson played for him with the San Antonio Riders of the WLAF. Another CFL coaching alum, Jonathan Himebauch, played for Riley at USC.
Riley will be in San Antonio through at least the end of their regular season in April, then back to Oregon State, where he’ll be an off-field consultant. He watches a lot of film, which he loves.
The two jobs fit seamlessly into the family dynamic as daughter Kate lives in Corvallis, Ore., son Matt in Austin, Texas, and the Rileys gather yearly at a home halfway between San Antonio and Austin. The Rileys bought the place in 1991 while Mike was coaching the San Antonio Riders of the WLAF.
There’s also a chance to rewrite the final chapter of his head coaching story. Four years ago, he left a comfortable job at Oregon State to take the reins at Nebraska. He was fired after amassing a 19-19 record over three seasons.
“I kind of felt the timing was OK to leave. But going to Nebraska at that time, you could question that one. It was awesome. There were a lot of good parts and I wanted one more at-bat. I thought we were turning the corner, actually, but you know how these things go. And that’s OK. I’m not going to dwell on it. I’m not going to call it a regret. But you could question it if you want.”
There is no questioning Riley’s staying power or his love of the game. As a head coach, he holds winning records in the CFL (40-32), WLAF (11-9) and college ranks (112-99), but went 14-34 in his only NFL foray with San Diego.