Richards tutored all four quarterbacks to all-district honors each of the six years he was offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. "We'll see," Riley said. Maybe even a national title. Duncan drew close to Riley and McNeill during the Alamo Bowl and was a mentor to the pair until his death on March 12, 2016. (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). Copyright 2022. Im not a big Longhorn fan right now, thats for sure.. Mike Leach and his Texas Tech Red Raiders were only an hour away, and Lincoln had already traded his helmet for a coaching whistle as a GA by the time Garrett was ready to be the starting quarterback back home. New WIC On Wheels set to travel to Bailey, other counties, Republican candidate for District 19 primary has clear leadership goals. Muleshoe ultimately fell short in the state semifinals, losing handily to Forney High, a much larger school, 41-17. It didn't take much, however, to get his competitive football juices flowing in Lubbock. The Mules only return one all-district player in wide receiver Irvin Torres. But the worst of times came decades later, just as his oldest son was learning to love football. He was a sponge. certain: Neither Lincoln nor Garrett wanted to follow their father into the cotton warehouse business. Rileys work ethic and confident mindset were instilled by his parents. Patience is the whole key.. Like most everyone in town, restaurant owner Victor Leal has a favorite story about his favorite college football coach. Still, he opted not to play as a senior. Pride Football camp starts Monday morning. Thats coming from a program last year (where) we had a sophomore that just got offers from OU, OSU and Texas A&M, Richards said of Flour Bluff offensive guard Johnny Dickson. When Leach abruptly lost his job before the 2009 season ended, Riley was asked to call plays in the Alamo Bowl against Michigan State by Red Raiders interim head coach Ruffin McNeill. Almost seven decades later, another 18-year-old in Muleshoe was ready to find his way, and the folks from Lincoln Riley's hometown swear he could see anything in the world, just ahead of him. Muleshoe Mules Class: 3A Division I DCTF High School Ranking: NR Location: Muleshoe, Texas 2022 District 2-3A Division I Standings Team District Record Overall Record Next Opponent Shallowater Mustangs 4 - 0 10 - 2 Idle Bushland Falcons 3 - 1 11 - 2 Idle Muleshoe Mules 2 - 2 8 - 4 Idle Dalhart Wolves 1 - 3 5 - 6 Idle Before joining the Times in May 2018, he was a projects reporter at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and a 2017 Nieman Fellow at Harvard University. In 2017, once Riley took the reins from Stoops, Mayfield won the Heisman Trophy while leading the Sooners to the College Football Playoff semifinals. The pride of Muleshoe is the new head coach of Oklahoma football, and to paraphrase a certain Oklahoma humorist, no one ever met a Muleshoe man who didn't like Lincoln Riley. It's just that they have their own homegrown hero Oklahoma Sooners head coach Lincoln Riley. The rapid rise of Lincoln Riley, from small-town quarterback to one of the most promising football minds in America, is rooted deep in this arid soil. According to a press release, while serving as offensive coordinator, Richards football program had a 51-21 record, including three regional semi-final appearances and two area championship appearances. Hidden facts about Muleshoe, the best restaurants discovered while recruiting and plenty more fun with Coach Riley on this week's Fifth Quarter! Im fired up. Small town, feels like he's their own. You just have a lot of pride in the town and in the people. It was a Sunday afternoon game decided by a Hail Mary on the final play. Muleshoe will always be my special village. As is custom, Leal's Mexican Restaurant on West American Boulevard, is packed by noon as pickup trucks clog the dusty parking lot in the shadow of a grain elevator skyline. Muleshoe's Daniel Sianez (21) runs the ball against Jim Ned during the UIL 3A-D1 Area Playoff game on Friday, Nov. 19, 2021, at PlainsCapital Park-Lowrey Field in Lubbock, Texas. I said, Ruffin, Ive read all about him. But thats the kind of guy that Ruffin is. Their hearts belonged to the Longhorns until sons Lincoln and Garrett went off to college at Texas Tech. In Texas, playing football is practically a birthright. You know everybody. Hell never forget his roots, Muleshoe Mayor Cliff Black said last week. Richards went on to lead. Seems that back when Riley. But I think we saw this move as potentially a chance for them to experience new things, and when they get out in the real world which will come way too quick I want them to have been exposed to different things and different areas and different kinds of people. if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[320,50],'easternnewmexiconews_com-box-4','ezslot_1',130,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-easternnewmexiconews_com-box-4-0');if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[320,50],'easternnewmexiconews_com-box-4','ezslot_2',130,'0','1'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-easternnewmexiconews_com-box-4-0_1'); .box-4-multi-130{border:none !important;display:block !important;float:none !important;line-height:0px;margin-bottom:7px !important;margin-left:auto !important;margin-right:auto !important;margin-top:7px !important;max-width:100% !important;min-height:50px;padding:0;text-align:center !important;}"Getting to work for one of the most legendary coaches this school has ever had, and a great guy on top of that, it was fun for me to sit back and watch him work while I grew as a young coach," Riley said. He was brought up in Muleshoe after all, raised with its good Christian values. And maybe after a few recruiting classes keeping Southern California talent at home Riley will be in a better position to take down the goliaths of the SEC by facing them in the playoff rather than tussling with them during the entire regular season. My daddy would roll over in his grave if I said I was gonna root for USC, Sam Whalin, the schools retired maintenance director, says with a laugh. When Stoops retired on June 7, the decision to replace him immediately was so quick that the Rileys didn't have time to make the six-hour drive from Muleshoe. He is the former high school quarterback who wore No. He once played quarterback for the Muleshoe. In each of his first three seasons at Oklahoma, Riley led the Sooners to a 12-1 regular season, only to lose in the College Football Playoff semifinals to Georgia, Alabama and LSU of the Southeastern Conference. They clearly remained friends throughout the years. The biggest story in town history, she said, has to be the dedication of the National Mule Memorial, constructed in homage to the animal that was once farming's beast of burden. , Victor marveled at how much time the older brother spent tutoring elementary school aged Garrett on the football field. But everyone agrees that the boy was uncommonly bright, even if he didnt take notes in class and sometimes skipped his homework. In years past, he has made it back to Muleshoe every summer. A farming community sprouted alongside the track soon after some 70 miles northwest of Lubbock and 30 miles east of the border taking its name from the nearby ranch where, legend has it, the original owner found a stray muleshoe lying in the soil. Questions? The gridiron, no. Riley won the Frank Broyles Award in 2015 for being the nations top assistant coach after his first year at OU, but he nearly missed the ceremony. He wanted to win in the classroom like he won on the field.". He has two daughters Sloan and Stella with Caitlin, the love of his life. With Rileys help, the Sooners have won back-to-back Big 12 championships, have had two Heisman Trophy finalists in Baker Mayfield and Dede Westbrook, and a College Football Playoff appearance. He holds a masters of administration in education from Sam Houston State University, and graduated cum laude with a bachelor of science in physical education from Eastern New Mexico University in Portales, where he was quarterback for the football team. Take a stroll along Main Street in Muleshoe; pay your respects to Old Pete, the mule monument standing guard near Muleshoes only stoplight; hit the livestock auction just outside of town; and maybe stop for a tamale or two during the lunch rush at Leals, the towns beloved gathering spot, and youll start to understand what they mean. The Mules won one game in Woods first season, then five the next, giving Muleshoe its first non-losing season in two decades. I just knew there were things I wanted to try to do. Although rocket science was not to be, he considered pursuing his mother's dream that he study to become a pharmacist. Muleshoe Mules Varsity Boys Football Muleshoe, TX FOLLOW TEAM 22-23 V. Football Home Schedule Roster Stats Standings Rankings Photos Videos News More / Muleshoe High School Football Muleshoe Football OVERALL 8-4 0.67 Win % DISTRICT 2-2 3rd in District HOME5-0 AWAY3-3 NEUTRAL0-1 PF318 PA345 STREAK1L Contribute to the Team Complete the Schedule At the helm of an I-formation, pro-style attack that bears no resemblance to the offense he ran at Oklahoma and will bring to USC, Riley led the Mules to an undefeated regular season in 2000. It didn't hurt that Riley had the services of quarterback Baker Mayfield, who won the Heisman Trophy in December. A humorist and actor and political pundit and newspaper columnist. Which brings us to our next topic . "Surely not an everyday event in these parts.". 2023 www.oklahoman.com. Who knows what would have become of Riley had he gone to Dartmouth, which seemed most interested, instead of his eventual landing spot at Texas Tech. Stitt expresses 'strong disagreement' with Oklahoma AG over Catholic charter school, Bill Haisten: A massive event NCAA wrestling in downtown Tulsa, Lincoln Riley: 12 things you may not know about the OU football coach, Big 12 Media Days: After a whirlwind month, new OU coach Lincoln Riley takes center stage, Dan Snyder is under investigation over line of credit taken out by Commanders, Lionel Messi named men's Player of the Year at the 2022 Best FIFA Awards, LeBron James is facing weeks on the sidelines after foot injury, "I am scared of needlesr" Lillard on getting a drug test after his 71-point game. "Everybody loves him. We are very excited after a lengthy process to introduce Jason Richards and his fianc Miss Angela Scott, said Curtis Preston, president of MISD Board of Trustees. Maybe more frequent trips to Los Angeles planted some seeds that Southern California might be a nice place to raise two young daughters, Sloan and Stella, with wife Caitlin, even though its a much different lifestyle than what theyve known in Norman, Okla. Oklahoma cap at lunch alongside Marilyn on Muleshoe's main drag. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Things got so bad that during Mike Riley's sophomore year. Former Mule Jaxon Lee, an AP all-state first team lineman for the. Gonzalez, Donavan ( Jr.) Vasquez, Uriel ( Sr.) Morales, Aaron ( So.) Many of those lakes that Will Rogers saw in the 19th century have now dried out, but the area is prime for agriculture. We have to put things together, do it again. CALL. Some were convinced hed leave for Louisiana State. ", Three Oklahoma stars to keep an eye on in 2017 season, Watch for these three Oklahoma players to have breakout seasons in 2017. Overnight, the youngest head coach in major college football hailed from the West Texas speck on the map that fell into Channel 6's market. After coaching for 14 years, the Clovis native got his dream job and was named the Mules head football coach and athletic director in February. "Yeah, I think that's fair to say," he said. Even his childhood mischief has become a part of the town mythos. We're pretty exited around here. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. I just knew there were things I wanted to try to do, he says. Its probably one of the most supportive communities youll find in the state of Texas, said Richards, who had been Flour Bluffs offensive coordinator for the past five seasons. USC coach Lincoln Riley remains a celebrated figure in the Muleshoe High football program. Texas Tech coach Mike Leach saw enough in him to recruit him as a walk on, but it wasnt too long during his time in Lubbock before Riley moved into a student assistant role. Even in the classroom, when the teacher was giving notes, he'd just soak it in. Head Boys Track Coach Aaron Simon. It was kind of fun to be there at the beginning.". He was selling him to me, Stoops said at the time. quarterback, led the Mules 400 miles to a Class 3A state semifinal game at Texas Stadium in Irving. When he announced it was Oklahoma, I thought, that would be a good place for him to be a head coach, too.'. That will never change.. Things always change year to year in college football and that's one of the things we enjoy. Hes got size, hes got a great family.. For many coaches, its difficult to turn the football mind off. Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley answers a question during a news conference in August. As a quarterback, Wood says, his intellect was his greatest asset. Kyle Atwood, a close friend and Rileys leading receiver in high school, expects USC flags to be flying in town soon enough. We were on the way to San Antonio and the bowl game and we were obviously thinking we were going to have our normal role at that Alamo Bowl game, said Simmons, who coached wide receivers at the time. Riley is a quarterback whisperer, and Southern California is a five-star quarterback assembly line. In 2018, Kyler Murray, a highly recruited transfer from Texas A&M, stepped in for Mayfield and earned his own Heisman and playoff appearance. Muleshoe rolled through four playoff games on their way to the Class 3A state semifinals, including a rare win over Friona that inspired Riley and three teammates the next summer to climb the rival towns water tower and spray paint the winning score, 23-13, for all to see. For a routine follow-up, Riley mentored Alabama transfer Jalen Hurts during his graduate transfer season, and Hurts is now the starter for the Philadelphia Eagles. This article originally ran on July 15, 2017. Now that Riley is a head coach, it probably is harder. Riley shadowed Leach, a noted night owl, as much as he could. But everyone here trusts Lincoln. Muleshoe went 1-19 in the two years preceding head coach Jason Richards' arrival. A newspaper article from the Clovis News Journal about USC coach Lincoln Riley during his high school days is on display at his parents home in Muleshoe, Texas. A rocket scientist. Mike and Marilyn returned home from Austin soon after graduation and eventually took over family-owned cotton warehouses in neighboring Sudan. But Riley is still so young in the profession, and the longer he stayed in Norman, the more he risked the fan bases appreciation of him running dry. Anytime they wanted to bounce something off of someone, Donnie was the person that they talked to , I think it was their mutual love and admiration for college football. He considered pursuing his mother 's dream that he study to become a part the. 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