For all the stories and speculation about Lincoln Riley being on NFL short lists for future coaching openings, he is making a great salary and having grand success right where he is, thank you very much.
According to the annual USA Today survey of college football coaching salaries, the Sooner head coach’s $6.4 million annual salary ranks ninth among college coaches. That’s up from 16th a year ago. Riley received a contract extension in January this year that runs through the 2024 season.
Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney passed Alabama’s Nick Saban as college football’s highest paid coach. Swinney reportedly will make $9.3 million this year, not including bonus. Saban’s annual salary is $8.7 million.
Jim Harbaugh of Michigan is third with an annual salary of $7.5 million. Jimbo Fisher of Texas A&M and Georgia’s Kirby Smart round out the top five at $7.5 and $6.7 million, respectively.
Former Sooner head coach Bob Stoops brought in Riley to become OU offensive coordinator prior to the 2015 season, which also aligned with Baker Mayfield’s first season as the Sooners’ starting quarterback. Riley, a Texas Tech alum and former player, was at East Carolina as offensive coordinator prior to coming to Norman.
Riley made $1.3 million as the Sooner offensive coordinator. When he was promoted to head coach following Stoops’ retirement in the spring of 2017, his salary was adjusted to $3.1 million. Stoops was making $5.5 million his 18th and final season as head coach of the Sooners.
In two and a half seasons as head coach of the Oklahoma Sooners, Riley has compiled a remarkable record of 31-4.
On top of that the Sooners’ offense has been the best in the nation the past two season and remains so this season, they have been to the College Football Playoff in each of the past two seasons and an Oklahoma quarterback has been awarded the Heisman Trophy and followed that by becoming the No. 1 overall NFL Draft pick in both of Riley’s head coaching seasons.
Riley’s first two seasons arguably are the best first two years of any of his 21 predecessors at Oklahoma. Addressing the NFL rumors, Riley called in to the Dan Patrick radio show on SiriusXm on Thursday and said he does not now, nor has he ever had, a goal of coaching in the NFL.
Goals can change, as we all know, but for the present, at least, it doesn’t sound like he’s planning to leave Norman anytime soon.