Wood, determined to put an end to the exodus, noticed a seventh-grader playing at the junior high with "lots [of] football smarts" if not lots of blue-chip skills. Copyright 2019 KCBD. Muleshoe will always be my special village. The Mules won one game in Woods first season, then five the next, giving Muleshoe its first non-losing season in two decades. 2023 www.lubbockonline.com. At USC, expectations are already soaring. "Small town, very tight-knit community. You are the OC (offensive coordinator).. Lincoln has a photographic memory, and when I say that, I really mean it.. only a means to a football end. The new coach inherited around two dozen players, barely enough to field a full team, and the program was plagued by a lack of discipline. "I think grit, never giving up and just playing . The day he interviewed, Wood recalls, there were three fights in the schools halls. Hes ready to be a part of that city and what comes with it. COURTESY, Grandpa Claude, father Mike and Lincoln Riley, Lincoln and Caitlin Riley are from small Texas towns separated by a 45-minute drive. Life is too short, so dont be afraid to go for it.. The work was strenuous enough to teach Lincoln Riley the intended lessons about hard work and responsibility but also to convince him he had no interest in inheriting the family business. Most recently, he attended a Garth Brooks concert in Kansas City. I really saw his potential to be a rocket scientist, Wood said in 2015. There was a problem saving your notification. Really? It's pretty much the talk of the town.. ", Riley was named the offensive coordinator at Oklahoma in 2015 after prepping for the position at East Carolina, , his first stop away from Texas Tech, his high school math teacher Debbie Conner told, In Mrs. Conner's honors math class, Riley, routinely dissected problems using shortcuts she never considered and. Thats a whole nother world than what he grew up in, said Alice Liles, who taught Rileys advanced English class and authored a book on the town. The rapid rise of Lincoln Riley, from small-town quarterback to one of the most promising football minds in America, is rooted deep in this arid soil. In Texas, playing football is practically a birthright. Muleshoe always supports their own.. Every time we get steaks and have friends over, they ask, Where did you get these knives? Always my wife will say, The Rileys bought them for us as a wedding gift. He tells me to come and visit him. He got an early start, Leach told the Tulsa World last month. Texas Tech coach Mike Leach saw enough in him to recruit him as a walk on, but it wasnt too long during his time in Lubbock before Riley moved into a student assistant role. But I think its a wonderful move.. For many coaches, its difficult to turn the football mind off. Riley was on the football and track teams at Muleshoe (Tex.) Heres little po-dunk Muleshoe playing in the [Dallas] Cowboys stadium, said Wood, whos now retired. But the rest of Muleshoe moves at a crawl. We were on the way to San Antonio and the bowl game and we were obviously thinking we were going to have our normal role at that Alamo Bowl game, said Simmons, who coached wide receivers at the time. He can be heard Monday through Friday from 4:40-5:20 p.m. on The Sports Animal radio network, including FM-98.1. After two years as OUs offensive coordinator, hell take over as head coach. "I guess probably once I started to think about going to college, I enjoyed the game so much in high school that I felt it would be part of my life some way, some how. Great, great people. No telling if the city founders had any inkling the name might itself become a celebrity of sorts. Rodriguez, Alan ( Jr.) Lopez, Jaxher ( Jr.) Dominguez, Ryan ( So.) Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, USC hires Lincoln Riley: Complete coverage of Trojans shocking coaching move, extended this week all the way to the state Senate, Lincoln Riley jetted for USC, and Oklahoma is left to furiously wonder why, Breaking down the USC roster Lincoln Riley inherits, Rileys arrival signifies a triumphant return, USC football coaches: Glory and gaffes, from Gloomy Gus to Lincoln Riley, Roundtable: Our March Madness projections for UCLA, USC and others. Atwood, who was one of the four, recalls that the boys were caught as soon as they descended the water tower. We was driving over a Country where 36 years before as a boy 18 years old I had helped drive a bunch of cattle from that very place to Western Kansas, and there wasent a house or a chicken in a whole county. It may be a good thing that the show never has had a scripted length. I had to explain everything to him only once. Continue reading to hear more about OU's youthful coach. However "favorite" and "biggest" were eclipsed when 33-year-old, coach, took over one of America's most storied. By June, however, coach Mike Leach had seen enough. 2003. "Muleshoe -- don't you like just hearing it?". Garrett, six years younger than his brother, is currently the quarterbacks coach at, But on this Tuesday, the first day of August, Mike Riley is sporting a crimson. In 1996, David Wood inherited a Muleshoe program that hadn't posted a winning record in 13 years. He has two daughters Sloan and Stella with Caitlin, the love of his life. All four quarterbacks are in the top five for passing yards in a season. They say you are raised by a village. On his 27th birthday, Riley called plays in a thrilling season-opening 51-49 win over Tulsa in 2010. While at Muleshoe High, Riley learned under the tutelage of David Wood, who just retired last month after 23 years coaching the Mules. Please subscribe to keep reading. According to a press release, while serving as offensive coordinator, Richards football program had a 51-21 record, including three regional semi-final appearances and two area championship appearances. The Rennels' house on West 3rd Street is conveniently located just down from Muleshoe High, whose Friday night football games the station videotapes for continuous airings on Saturdays and Sundays. Its something that weve both always wanted, Caitlin Riley said. Mike Riley's series of tin-roofed warehouses on the northern fringe of Sudan can feel like ovens in the unforgiving West Texas sun. Getting Darrell Davis, one of Richards high school football coaches, was something both men have been talking about for 15 years and have made happen. Mayfield and Murray became the No. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. His grandfather Claude Riley, who is 97 and lives at the nursing home with his wife, Evelyn, 89, was a quarterback there, as well. USC won 11 national titles under icons Howard Jones, John McKay, John Robinson and Pete Carroll. The people in Muleshoe say they didn't know Riley was headed for gridiron greatness. Hes well-versed on David Woods success with the Mules, which included a 2008 state championship. Georgia was one of them. Take a stroll along Main Street in Muleshoe; pay your respects to Old Pete, the mule monument standing guard near Muleshoes only stoplight; hit the livestock auction just outside of town; and maybe stop for a tamale or two during the lunch rush at Leals, the towns beloved gathering spot, and youll start to understand what they mean. Deep on the dusty plains of West Texas, where grain silos line the sparse landscape and a dry breeze blows loose tufts of cotton across U.S. Route 84, a stretch of railroad runs along a lonely highway. Riley is a Muleshoe native who played quarterback and defensive end for the Mules football team in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Learn how this Muleshoe High School student is connecting with coaches in TX and nationwide. "It was a great place to grow up," Riley said on Wednesday afternoon during a telephone interview with The Eastern New Mexico News. But well take him lunch or go to practice.. Im not a big Longhorn fan right now, thats for sure.. They just didnt know how to do it.. "But he had a really good memory, was really good at math and he was very competitive. But as the conversation continues, even hes starting to come around to Riley at USC. A rocket scientist. The Mules are set to kickoff the 2021 football team on Friday night by hosting Sundown. He felt that it was a good opportunity for him. We were so close in age, it became a friendship, but he was a friend I respected. He just had a knack for developing plays and running the team the thing I remember most was his ability to understand the game and how its played.. Will Rogers was a restless 18-year-old in 1898 when he signed on to be a cowboy for the sprawling Mashed O Ranch, which covered parts of Lamb and Bailey counties in the Texas Panhandle. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft during back-to-back seasons. Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley yells from the sideline during a game. Ive always carried that with me., USC coach Lincoln Riley on what he learned from high school coach David Wood, There was backlash to his new, strict approach at first, too. filled out recruiting questionnaires, his SAT and ACT scores made more impact with some coaches than his measurable football skills. in 1969, the Mules scored a single touchdown during the entire season. Riley still has an itch to scratch when it comes to winning at the highest level of the sport and must feel he can reach the summit more easily from USC. ", Three Oklahoma stars to keep an eye on in 2017 season, Watch for these three Oklahoma players to have breakout seasons in 2017. Im sure hes got a pretty nice home now, making what hes making., Its possible that Riley has been keeping up with USC from afar given his affinity for Harrell. 3 games every Oklahoma fan should circle on the calendar; full season predictions for 2017. Will Oklahoma fare better or worse in 2017 season? Rileys coaching success has been anchored by a spread-it-out, fast-paced attack. Riley is pure Muleshoe. That's part of the challenge you look forward to tackling.". "The value of hard work - I think the community has always been built on that. Clovis was district and state champion in 2001. Head Boys Track Coach Aaron Simon. For a routine follow-up, Riley mentored Alabama transfer Jalen Hurts during his graduate transfer season, and Hurts is now the starter for the Philadelphia Eagles. Not only did they know him, he would take the time and just visit with those small kids and the junior high kids. Get the latest on L.A.'s teams in the daily Sports Report newsletter. Lincoln Riley's father doesn't seem to be a big talker. They want their kids to be successful, not just in athletics, but in anything they do.. You just have a lot of pride in the town and in the people. (Staff / The Dallas Morning News, courtesy), Are these Rangers good? Weve been busy, but weve enjoyed every day., I cover the University of Oklahoma football and mens basketball teams. Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley already has made inroads in Southern California football recruiting, which should help him bolster USCs talent pool. Muleshoe will be Richards first athletic director and head football coaching position. Muleshoe ultimately fell short in the state semifinals, losing handily to Forney High, a much larger school, 41-17. ", And so, Wood said, he hitched his career to, "Lincoln helped me get established and stay here," Wood said as he prepared for his 22nd season at the school. "I think I took things from him and a lot of my coaches. They were married in 2007. The Riley family came before most other fixtures in Muleshoe, settling in town in the 1930s, not long after the town was incorporated. This is a compilation of Muleshoe high school football coach history. But the worst of times came decades later, just as his oldest son was learning to love football. Riley started in the fifth grade, both officially and in backyard games with neighborhood children. . And then theres the part about replacing Bob Stoops. "I really . As soon as the band quit marching, itd just be a few of us, some parents and the coaches wives in the stands, Stacy Conner, pastor at the First Baptist Church and a Riley family friend, jokes. Ryan Kartje is the USC beat writer at the Los Angeles Times. He wasnt afraid to change things up, to do things different from what had been done there. 0:46 The Muleshoe Mules had a combined 1-20 record in the two years preceding the hiring of head football coach and athletic director Jason Richards in January 2020. . He brought belief and hope. Wood began with a program that fielded 22 players in a school of about 450 students. Hes just an athletic big kid. Soon after, Todd and Starla Ellis, who run the local funeral home, stopped by the Riley's table. Richards comes to Muleshoe from Flour Bluff High School in Corpus Christi, where he served as offensive coordinator. He always has. Jalen Hurts could be next for the Sooners. He keeps things pretty close to his sleeve, Garrett says. Riley's wife Caitlin is also pure West Texas, even if she's not from Muleshoe. Just do what got you here, Riley said. Leach took to introducing Riley, then 23, as the youngest full-time major college assistant coach in the country. Riley is a quarterback whisperer, and Southern California is a five-star quarterback assembly line. "He was a coach on the field for us. It didn't take much, however, to get his competitive football juices flowing in Lubbock. Duncan drew close to Riley and McNeill during the Alamo Bowl and was a mentor to the pair until his death on March 12, 2016. The town wanted to be good. The Pecos and Northern Texas Railway companies laid the track here in 1913, cutting through this swath of Bailey County ranchland to connect the growing town of Lubbock to the border of New Mexico. His offense has placed five players in the top 10 for rushing yards in a season and nine players in the top 10 for receiving yards in a season. Suddenly Muletrain was competing with SportsCenter for eyeballs. Find Us . All rights reserved. He was a computer on legs. Annie Rice/Avalanche-Journal Muleshoe's head football coach Jason Richards reacts to water being poured on him after the team's win against Brownfield in a bi-district playoff football. Muleshoe's Daniel Sianez (21) runs the ball against Jim Ned during the UIL 3A-D1 Area Playoff game on Friday, Nov. 19, 2021, at PlainsCapital Park-Lowrey Field in Lubbock, Texas. ", 521 Pile StreetClovis, NM 88102Ph: (575) 763-3431, Powered by ROAR Online Publication Software from Lions Light Corporation A farming community sprouted alongside the track soon after some 70 miles northwest of Lubbock and 30 miles east of the border taking its name from the nearby ranch where, legend has it, the original owner found a stray muleshoe lying in the soil. Honest, hard-working people. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Seeing the Mules football program flourish while learning from his coach, Eric Roanhaus, New Mexicos winningest football coach, added to Richards desire to become a mentor in the football ranks. We are very excited after a lengthy process to introduce Jason Richards and his fianc Miss Angela Scott, said Curtis Preston, president of MISD Board of Trustees. Its something that hes excited about. Patience and a well-timed recruiting pitch helped USC lure Lincoln Riley away from Oklahoma, sending shockwaves through the college football world. But its what hes always wanted and anticipated. When I hired him, Lincoln was the youngest full-time assistant in the country, but he had been with me as a student assistant and a GA for about six years and did a tremendous job, so I had no reservation about hiring him.. "Each year presents new challenges, but there are parts of the job and all the things that come with it that I'm a little more settled in with for sure.". As offensive coordinator a friendship, but weve enjoyed every day., I the... Program that hadn & # x27 ; t posted a winning record in 13 years `` I think community... Last month, Caitlin Riley said giving up and just visit with those small kids and the High! And mens basketball teams too short, so dont be afraid to go for it its a wonderful move for! 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