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Oklahoma football: Lincoln Riley continues to put his own stamp on program

By Christopher Dukes

NORMAN, OK - NOVEMBER 25: Head Coach Lincoln Riley of Oklahoma Sooners during warm ups before the game against the West Virginia Mountaineers at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium on November 25, 2017 in Norman, Oklahoma. Oklahoma defeated West Virginia 59-31. (Photo by Brett Deering/Getty Images)
NORMAN, OK - NOVEMBER 25: Head Coach Lincoln Riley of Oklahoma Sooners during warm ups before the game against the West Virginia Mountaineers at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium on November 25, 2017 in Norman, Oklahoma. Oklahoma defeated West Virginia 59-31. (Photo by Brett Deering/Getty Images) /
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One could argue that when Bob Stoops handed the Oklahoma football program over to Lincoln Riley, it came as a turnkey operation with everything ready to go. But heading into his third season as the Sooners coach, we are finally getting a good look at what Riley’s vision for the OU program.

Of the nine coaching staff members (not counting Riley) present at the time Stoops stepped down Oklahoma is down to just four holdovers and only one (Calvin Thibodeaux) from the defensive side of the ball.

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It started when longtime strength and conditioning coach Jerry Schmidt left for Texas A&M before the 2018 season. That was followed by defensive coordinator Mike Stoops’ dismissal middle of last year. In recent weeks linebackers coach Tim Kish retired in the offseason and Kerry Cooks moved on to coach at Texas Tech.

What’s interesting to note is each of these coaches was replaced by a younger man.  57-year-old Mike Stoops was succeeded by 38-year-old Alex Grinch. 58-year-old Jerry Schmidt was replaced by 41-year-old Bennie Wylie. 64-year-old Tim Kish’s successor is 38-year-old Brian Odom and 44-year-old Kerry Cooks’ old position was filled by 37-year-old Roy Manning. Riley also brought on 29-year-old Chip Viney as a recruiting assistant and hired 2012 Oklahoma graduate and former track and field athlete Annie Hanson as his executive director of recruiting.

Ruffin McNeil, age 60, is the only major hire over the age of 40 for Riley so far.

Does this mean the Sooners are hiring strictly on the basis of age? No. It means they are bringing in a young staff with new ideas and the ability to connect with kids not only on the field but perhaps even more importantly for Riley, on the recruiting trail.

The Sooners had the No. 16 recruiting class in the country according to Rivals.com in 2016. In 2017, thanks in large part to a renewed energy brought by Riley on the recruiting trail the Sooners rose to No. 7. Last year they were No. 8. This year Oklahoma is poised to bring in its highest-rated class since recruiting services started keeping track with the No. 3 group in the country. Oklahoma has always been able to land its fair share of blue-chip athletes, but thanks to Riley, the Sooners are one of the “it” programs on the recruiting trail for the first time in over a decade.

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While the Sooners have managed to make it to the College Football Playoff in each of the past two seasons, it appears that Riley believes a younger, more dynamic staff may be the key to knocking down that door and busting up the Clemson-Alabama party that has been raging atop the sport for the past few seasons.

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