Oklahoma football: Details on Lincoln Riley’s new contract revealed
By Chip Rouse
Any notions of Oklahoma football coach Lincoln Riley getting lured away to the NFL anytime soon, if ever, became virtually nil when he agreed to a five-year contract extension earlier this year.
Riley has enjoyed incredible success in his first two seasons as a head coach, posting identical 12-2 records, consecutive College Football Playoff appearances and back-to-back Heisman Trophy-winning quarterbacks. His high-powered Air Raid offense has led all of NCAA Division I football in total offense the past two seasons.
No wonder NFL owners and general managers are interested in tapping in on some of Riley’s offensive mastery. But they are going to have to continue watching and waiting.
Even before the extension was agreed to, Riley had given no indication that he was interested in jumping ship for an NFL coaching opportunity, stating it was “hard to see myself leaving Oklahoma.”
The University of Oklahoma wanted to get that commitment in writing and signed Riley to a contract extension worth $32 million over the next five seasons (2019 to 2023). As part of the new contract, according to a public record request by the Tulsa World, Riley would have to pay Oklahoma $4.6 million if he were to leave OU for any job, including the NFL, after the 2019 season. That number goes down by $1 million every season thereafter until 2022. The buyout clause is waived after the 2022 season.
According to the information obtained and reported by the World, Riley will receive $700.000 as an annual stay bonus if he remains as the Sooners’ head coach on June 1 of every contract year. Additionally, if Riley is the head coach on April 1, 2021, he will receive another $1 million bonus payment.
Riley is reported to receive $6 million in salary for the 2019 season. That will be the highest annual payment made to an Oklahoma football head coach. Bob Stoops made $5.5 million in his final season in 2017.
Some would argue that the terms of Riley’s new contract appear to be a bit extravagant for a head coach that is just beginning his third season at the helm. I say that he has proved to be an outstanding successor to OU’s winningest coach of all time. and the team’s performance the past two seasons has easily earned him a contract reconsideration.
Riley has said he wants to be at Oklahoma — and he certainly feels indebted to Stoops and athletic director Joe Castiglione for believing in him and giving him the coaching opportunity. The new contract emphatically screams, in klieg lights, the feeling is mutual.