USC Coach Tells the Truth About Oklahoma Exit With Lincoln Riley

Lincoln Riley sent shockwaves through college football in November 2021 when he left Oklahoma to become the next head coach at USC.

Riley had led the Sooners to three consecutive Big 12 conference championships and appearances in the College Football Playoff from 2017-2019, which included back-to-back Heisman Trophy winners in quarterbacks Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray, both of whom were drafted No. 1 overall. However, following the 2021 regular season, Riley decided it was time to make a change.

Wild 12 Hours

USC Trojans Lincoln Riley Heisman Trophy College Football Playoff Dennis Simmons Big Ten SEC NIL Oklahoma Sooners — Sep 2, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley (leff) and wide receivers coach Dennis Simmons react against the Nevada Wolf Pack in the second half at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

In the regular season finale, Oklahoma squared off against Oklahoma State in a top 10 matchup and with a trip to the Big 12 Championship Game on the line for the Sooners. The Cowboys overcame a nine-point fourth quarter deficit to defeat their rival 37-33 in a Bedlam instant classic. That game ended late Saturday night.

When receivers coach Dennis Simmons pulled into facility early the next morning to watch the game tape, before he got out his car, he received a call from Riley.

“Hey, what are you doing? You got a minute, are you by yourself,” Simmons recalled. “I've been thinking about this all night. I think I'm gonna take the LA job.”

At first, Simmons was surprised because he assumed Riley was talking about the vacancy at LSU. That was the school Riley had been linked to during the final month of the 2021 season but had publicly stated after the loss to Oklahoma State that he wasn’t taking the job.

“Nah, not that LA job, SC. I’d love for you to come with me,” Riley told Simmons.

Simmons didn’t hesitate to join Riley. The two of them had been around each other for almost two decades. Simmons held multiple roles at Texas Tech starting in 2000, before he became the outside receivers coach in 2008.

Riley joined Texas Tech as a walk-on quarterback in 2003. He then became a student and graduate assistant, before he was hired as a full-time receivers coach in 2007 and then became the inside receivers coach the next season. Simmons and Riley also coached seven years together at Oklahoma from 2015-2021.

The two talked on the phone for about 45 minutes on that Sunday morning following the loss. Riley told Simmons he was going to speak with the administration, have a staff meeting and inform the team. Simmons then asked when they were leaving.

“If we can get it done, we’ll leave this afternoon,” Riley told Simmons.

Simmons returned home to tell his wife, LaTosha, that Riley was going to be taking a different job, and she also assumed it was for LSU. They informed their children, Simmons returned to the facility for all of the meetings and to talk with his players and then packed up his office. Later that night, the stunning news broke that left college football in shock.

Southern Cal had done an extensive search for its next head coach after firing Clay Helton two games into the 2021 season. It was a hire the USC administration couldn’t afford to miss, so they had to swing big and they did exactly that, pulling Riley away from a storied program, where he had accomplished a ton. The Trojans offered Riley a lucrative 10-year, $110 million dollar contract.

Ensuing Months

Simmons remembers how hectic the ensuing months became. The Trojans receivers coach said he and the rest of the staff were in the building every day for a couple of months as they tried to figure out the roster situation. Simmons and his family lived in the USC hotel for two months as they also navigated the holiday season. That in itself was a massive change, considering they were in the process of building a house in Norman.

It's one of the biggest "what ifs" this decade. What if Oklahoma defeats Oklahoma State in the regular season finale. Does Riley still take the job?

Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook, and X for the latest news.

Add us as a preferred source on Google