One of the first orders of business following the highly disappointing 2014 season of OU football was a major makeover within the coaching staff.
Co-offensive coordinators Josh Heupel and Jay Norvell were let go and replaced by new offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley.
Riley comes to OU from East Carolina, where he has been the past five seasons in multiple capacities, most recently as offensive coordinator. Before that, Riley spent seven seasons on the coaching staff at Texas Tech, his alma mater.
Last season, with East Carolina, Riley’s offensive unit finished third in the nation in passing offense, averaging 371.9 passing yards per game, and fifth in total offense (533 ypg). By comparison, even in OU’s best seasons throwing the football with Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford in 2008 and Landry Jones in 2010, the Sooners averaged right around 350 passing yards per game.
Oct 11, 2014; Dallas, TX, USA; Oklahoma Sooners defensive coordinator Mike Stoops (left) and head coach Bob Stoops signals from the sidelines against the Texas Longhorns during the Red River showdown at the Cotton Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
“Lincoln brings a fresh perspective to our program that I believe will help us maximize our potential offensively,” Bob Stoops said at the time Riley’s announcement was made. “He’s also a talented recruiter who I’m confident will help attract top-flight talent to the University of Oklahoma.”
Two other new assistant coaches have joined the Sooner staff for the 2015 season. Dennis Simmons, previously the wide receivers coach at Washington State, will assume the same duties at Oklahoma, and Kerry Cooks has been hired to work with the defensive secondary. Cooks comes to OU after five seasons coaching the receivers at Notre Dame and four seasons before that at Wisconsin.
Like Riley, Simmons also spent time under coach Mike Leach at Texas Tech (10 seasons).
The Sooners also lose Bobby Jack Wright to retirement and former defensive line coach Jerry Montgomery, who left to go with the Green Bay Packers in the NFL. Wright came to OU when Stoops took the head-coaching job in 1999. While with the Sooners, Wright worked with the defensive ends, spent several seasons as co-defensive coordinator and most recently was in charge of special teams.
“Lincoln brings a fresh perspective to our programs that I believe will help us maximize our potential offensively.” —Bob Stoops, on new offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley
To replace Montgomery, Stoops brought in Diron Reynolds, who spent a decade coaching in the NFL with the Indianapolis Colts, the Miami Dolphins and the Minnesota Vikings. Last season, he worked with the defensive line at Stanford, which ranked third in the nation in 2014 in total defense.
Remaining on the Sooners’ coaching staff are assistant head coaches Mike Stoops, Bob’s brother and the defensive coordinator, and Cale Gundy, who in addition to his role as director of recruiting will work with the inside wide receivers this season.
Bill Bedenbaugh is in his third season coaching the offensive line, Tim Kish is in his fourth season working with the linebackers, and Jerry Schmidt, one of the best strength and conditioning coaches in the business, is in his 17 year at OU.
Heupel had been with Bob Stoops, both as a player on the 2000 national championship team and as an assistant for as long as Stoops has been at Oklahoma, save one season (2005) when he was an assistant under Mike Stoops at Arizona. Heupel was named co-offensive coordinator for the Sooners in 2011. Norvell joined the OU coaching staff in 2008. In addition to sharing the offensive coordinator duties, he also worked with the wide receivers.
Heupel has since been hired as the offensive coordinator at Utah State, and Norvell has joined Charlie Strong’s coaching staff at Texas.