Oklahoma’s Riley jumps to Trojans
USC finalized a deal for Oklahoma’s Lincoln Riley to be its next coach in a stunning and rare move of one traditional college football powerhouse swiping another’s highly accomplished coach.
Riley is 55-10 in five seasons leading the Sooners, winning four Big 12 titles and making three College Football Playoff appearances. The 38-year-old native Texan is widely considered one of the top offensive minds in the college game, and the 11-time national champion Trojans appear to have managed to sell him on the Trojans’ potential to return to their glory days as a championship contender and the West Coast’s premier program.
USC fired Clay Helton in September in his seventh season, and the school has been searching for a coach to revive a program that has had meager success since a dominant run through the 2000s, including two national titles, under Pete Carroll.
Riley is the first Oklahoma coach to leave the school and coach elsewhere the following season since Chuck Fairbanks left in 1972 to coach the New England Patriots.
More coaching news
The Florida Gators hired Louisiana-Lafayette’s Billy Napier, ending a quick process that landed them their top target a week after firing Dan Mullen. The 42-year-old Napier is 39-12 in four seasons in Lafayette, including 32-5 the past three years.
♦ David Cutcliffe won’t return for a 15th season as Duke’s coach after the school announced a “mutual agreement for separation” following the Blue Devils’ winless season in Atlantic Coast Conference play.
♦ Sonny Dykes is set to be introduced as TCU’s new coach on Tuesday after four seasons at SMU.
♦ Indiana coach Tom Allen fired offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan after the Hoosiers completed their first winless season in Big Ten play since 2011. Allen also said he would take a $200,000 pay cut in each of the next four seasons. His contract runs through 2027.
Wolverines jump to No. 2 in AP poll
Michigan jumped to No. 2 in The Associated Press poll Sunday, and Oklahoma State joined the top five for the first time since 2015. Michigan has its highest ranking since it peaked at No 2. in 2016. The Wolverines moved up four spots after breaking an eight-game skid to Ohio State.