He spent a couple of days in Muleshoe and wrote about his drover days. Evaluate Brennen Davis's football recruiting profile. USC coach Lincoln Riley remains a celebrated figure in the Muleshoe High football program. In West Texas, Muleshoe's team was for decades a source of disappointment. Wes Wood, the coachs son who led the Mules to a state title as quarterback in 2008, said that season cemented Riley as his childhood hero. Find Us . Riley has surpassed actor Lee Horsley as Muleshoe's most famous son. Will fame (and the fortune of a new $3.1 million annual contract) change Riley? Every time we get steaks and have friends over, they ask, Where did you get these knives? Always my wife will say, The Rileys bought them for us as a wedding gift. He tells me to come and visit him. certain: Neither Lincoln nor Garrett wanted to follow their father into the cotton warehouse business. Eight years later, on the brink of that state championship, Riley returned to Muleshoe High for a pep rally. The Rennels' house on West 3rd Street is conveniently located just down from Muleshoe High, whose Friday night football games the station videotapes for continuous airings on Saturdays and Sundays. There was some nervous energy, Riley says. A look at what Lincoln Rileys USC team could look like come the 2022 season. (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). Momentum was building, and at quarterback, the attention turned to Riley, who Wood says was set to take the reins as a sophomore. Muleshoe football, as Riley remembers, was "one of the worst programs in the entire state of Texas for a long time." Mike Riley, Lincoln's father, was a Mules quarterback through some of those down years. 1. Last year, Muleshoe named its football field after the longtime coach. Annie Rice/Avalanche-Journal Muleshoe's head football coach Jason Richards reacts to water being poured on him after the team's win against Brownfield in a bi-district playoff football. For the Rileys, its a new lifestyle. He has deep roots here. Riley's wife Caitlin is also pure West Texas, even if she's not from Muleshoe. Tech racked up 579 yards of total offense. I certainly wont be afraid to do it here.. When Riley was a freshman, the Mules won 10, including a playoff game. Volunteer. Mike and Marilyn returned home from Austin soon after graduation and eventually took over family-owned cotton warehouses in neighboring Sudan. You could see anything in the world just ahead of you. Phone: 918-581-8391. Hal Mumme was the head coach at McMurry University in Abilene, which is about three hours from Muleshoe. Alcohol sales were first allowed in the town just three years ago and to this day some respected folks still remain wary of setting foot inside the bar. However "favorite" and "biggest" were eclipsed when 33-year-old, coach, took over one of America's most storied. His family has always been a great part of the community.. When he'd watch film he'd just remember defenses and what not. David Wood was Riley's high school football coach. 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. He raced through his homework as soon as he got to the house simply so he could get back to football as quickly as possible, his mother recalled. "Surely not an everyday event in these parts.". The idea of moving to Southern California was, he admits, pretty daunting. Riley is pure Muleshoe. A decade later, Lincoln Riley's new contract at Oklahoma calls for a guaranteed $3.1 million a year for five years. They were some complex plays as complex as you can be at 11.. only a means to a football end. One asset he had last year that he is without this season is Mayfield, who was selected No. Which brings us to our next topic . Over time, some of the Riley stories from those days have come to drift into tall tales, depending on whos telling them. But everyone here trusts Lincoln. Once she was his Sunday school teacher. Patience and a well-timed recruiting pitch helped USC lure Lincoln Riley away from Oklahoma, sending shockwaves through the college football world. Still, Lincoln Riley grew up loving the Mules and football, in general. What had been done was history or tradition or how theyd always done it, but it wasnt working. "I think I took things from him and a lot of my coaches. As noted in a 2019 Times profile of Riley, Like most boys in West Texas, Riley grew up wanting to be the QB1, not coach him. Fans are already convinced Rileys arrival signifies a triumphant return to the Trojans rightful place atop college football. Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley talks with his players during a game against Oklahoma State on Saturday. He doubled that win total in his first . He joined The Times after six years with the Southern California News Group. Ellis, the mayor, says it felt just like the movies. For a small West Texas town obsessed with football, it was unforgettable. Things got so bad that during Mike Riley's sophomore year. Wood, determined to put an end to the exodus, noticed a seventh-grader playing at the junior high with "lots [of] football smarts" if not lots of blue-chip skills. The work was strenuous enough to teach Lincoln Riley the intended lessons about hard work and responsibility but also to convince him he had no interest in inheriting the family business. Will Oklahoma fare better or worse in 2017 season? Riley still has an itch to scratch when it comes to winning at the highest level of the sport and must feel he can reach the summit more easily from USC. Heres little po-dunk Muleshoe playing in the [Dallas] Cowboys stadium, said Wood, whos now retired. Muleshoe ultimately fell short in the state semifinals, losing handily to Forney High, a much larger school, 41-17. That string of decisions eventually cost Riley any hope he had at playing big-time football. 3 games every Oklahoma fan should circle on the calendar; full season predictions for 2017. Please subscribe to keep reading. 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. Small town, feels like he's their own. The gridiron, no. 1 overall by the Cleveland Browns in last April's NFL Draft. You can also view his personality page at newsok.com/berrytramel View Comments People know each other. But truth be told, Horsley never really was an integral thread in the town's fabric. Mike and Marilyn Riley have lived in Muleshoe all of their lives. Muleshoe Football Coach History Mascot Mules Team Varsity 2022 Colors Black, White Coach N/A Address 514 W Ave G, Muleshoe, TX 79347 Overall 4-1 District 0-0 State (TX) Rank 488. We were huge Muleshoe fans.. He felt that it was a good opportunity for him. The only passing reference to L.A. found here comes from a novelty Rodeo Drive sign behind the bar at Rodeo, Muleshoes lone watering hole. Muleshoe dropped a 28-27 decision to Merkel in the area round of the Class 3A Division I playoffs last weekend. Some folks waited afterward to get his autograph. School was. Their hearts belonged to the Longhorns until sons Lincoln and Garrett went off to college at Texas Tech. Riley is already having huge success recruiting Southern California. Duncan was receiving a National Football Foundation Legacy Award in New York City at the same time and Riley wanted to be by his mentors side instead. As soon as Bob Stoops handpicked Riley to coach the quarterbacks and run the offense at Oklahoma in 2015, Riley began to prove what he had already shown at East Carolina in Conference USA: The guy knows how to motivate and prepare players at footballs most important position. But the last 103 years havent been all wins and Roses. COURTESY/Riley family. Still, the savvy proprietor of the town's only cable station can't possibly know what stories might fall into her lap for the three times a week Muletrain report on her family-operated Channel 6. Im not a big Longhorn fan right now, thats for sure.. 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. Find content for all Muleshoe Mules' Football teams covered by MaxPreps over the years. a job as an assistant coach who worked with receivers. He just had natural instincts.". Most recently, he attended a Garth Brooks concert in Kansas City. Rileys coaching success has been anchored by a spread-it-out, fast-paced attack. In 1999, with Riley as a sophomore lineman, Wood began tinkering with a shotgun offense that called for more passing and demanded a quick-thinking triggerman. Former Mule Jaxon Lee, an AP all-state first team lineman for the squad, rounds out the new hires as the defensive line coach. His final game at Muleshoe and last as a quarterback in a competitive game was a senior-year loss in a state semifinal game at old Texas Stadium. He has other big ideas to move Muleshoe forward. A rocket scientist. Still, he opted not to play as a senior. He can be heard Monday through Friday from 4:40-5:20 p.m. on The Sports Animal radio network, including FM-98.1. Life is too short, so dont be afraid to go for it.. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Oklahomas Lincoln Riley is the nations preeminent quarterback guru, Lincoln Rileys hiring at USC already impacting Trojans recruiting, Malachi Nelson, The 12 hours that transformed USC football: How the Lincoln Riley deal went down, Jaguars, narcos, illegal loggers: One mans battle to save a Guatemalan jungle and Maya ruins. ", Three Oklahoma stars to keep an eye on in 2017 season, Watch for these three Oklahoma players to have breakout seasons in 2017. 12 and led the Mules to a state semifinal finish his senior season. But in high school, there were only a few shotgun sets, and the Mules ran a Power-I attack. Good call. How the deluge of 1938 changed Los Angeles and its river, The chance of a lifetime: Five friends ski the tallest mountain in Los Angeles. Just do what got you here, Riley said. In addition to coaching the Mules to their only state championship in 2008, David Wood put up a. One is USC head coach. So how'd he end up as Oklahoma's headcoach? There are many friendship threads in Rileys small hometown of nearly 6,000. As impressed as Wood was with his Muleshoe quarterback's ability on the field, he was just as amazed by his off-the-field work. The Wallace Theatre sits on Muleshoes Main Street. Leach took to introducing Riley, then 23, as the youngest full-time major college assistant coach in the country. Hes the person who has a spare second for those wanting to talk to him during visits home. What had been done was history or tradition or how theyd always done it, but it wasnt working. Its because he has an exceptional memory a photographic memory. Not that the folks of Muleshoe don't respect Saban and what he's done for the Alabama Crimson Tide. 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. Seems that back when Riley. This is a compilation of Muleshoe high school football coach history. But by then, the town had already galvanized around its team, and Muleshoe was firmly on the football map. 877-845-6272. It may be a good thing that the show never has had a scripted length. Garrett, six years younger than his brother, is currently the quarterbacks coach at, But on this Tuesday, the first day of August, Mike Riley is sporting a crimson. But after Riley walked on at Texas Tech, then-Red Raiders coach Mike Leach encouraged him to get off . They celebrated East Carolina University victories when their oldest son spent five seasons as the Pirates offensive coordinator. They want their kids to be successful, not just in athletics, but in anything they do.. His coaching career would soon take off into the stratosphere, leading him to East Carolina, then Oklahoma and now USC, but Riley was already a star in Muleshoe. Lincoln is also well-known for being the Oklahoma Sooners' head football coach. Lincoln knows exactly what the heck hes doing. blockbuster came in June when Muleshoe's own Lincoln Riley, whose parents Mike and Marilyn still live in Rennels' neighborhood, was named the football coach at the University of Oklahoma soon after the unexpected resignation of Bob Stoops. 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. Hes got size, hes got a great family.. Still, they somehow became aware of each other at basketball games while playing for rival high schools. 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. I cannot wait to get in here and meet the kids and staff, Richards said. Seemingly overnight, the Ivy League discovered Muleshoe. The Sooners coach listens to many different genres. I just knew there were things I wanted to try to do. Hell never forget his roots, Muleshoe Mayor Cliff Black said last week. He knew exactly how to handle everything from the playcalling to quarterbacks.. It would be a challenge, Simmons said, but one that the then-26-year-old coach accepted and conquered. Hes ready to be a part of that city and what comes with it. Muleshoe, which would become the seat of Bailey County, then was just a few houses, a school and a cemetery. Both sides of the family were rooted in the farming business. The Sooners lost their CFP semifinal to Georgia, 54-48 in double overtime at the Rose Bowl on New Year's Day, but Riley had led them to a 12-2 record 8-1 against Big 12 teams in just his first season as Stoops' replacement. While at Muleshoe High, Riley learned under the tutelage of David Wood, who just retired last month after 23 years coaching the Mules. That was pretty exciting.. Theres something about being raised in a small town, said his wife, Caitlin Riley. Of course, it will be up to Riley to decide if he wants a fresh start with the Trojans quarterback room. There are high expectations. Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley has agreed to become the next USC football coach. Ask anyone in Muleshoe about Lincoln, whose first name is enough around these parts, and they swell with pride. I knew he was headed somewhere, said Wood. "He knew where every kid was supposed to be on every play," the coach said. The new coach inherited around two dozen players, barely enough to field a full team, and the program was plagued by a lack of discipline. 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. In 2017, once Riley took the reins from Stoops, Mayfield won the Heisman Trophy while leading the Sooners to the College Football Playoff semifinals. How can a West Texas boy go to L.A.? asked David Wood, who coached Riley at Muleshoe High. California? But he dislocated his throwing shoulder before the start of the season trying to make a tackle during a practice. A top-10 preseason ranking is expected and, last week, the Sooners were predicted to win their third consecutive Big 12 championship. USC coach Lincoln Riley is introduced as the Trojans new head football coach at the Coliseum on Nov. 29, in front a bustling city backdrop vastly different than where he grew up. The Red Raiders beat Michigan State 41-31 on that day. No new houses, he says, have been built in 15 years. As a quarterback, Wood says, his intellect was his greatest asset. Hes going to kind of do everything.. Young kids look up to the varsity kids. Later, when his younger brother, Garrett, quarterbacked the team, Wood consulted with Lincoln about their offense. Here in Muleshoe, the stunning news of Rileys sudden departure to USC late last month was greeted mostly with sideways glances. But it's not as if Riley graduated at the top of his high school class. Wes Wood has hit the ground running, already meeting with the coaching staff and some of his new players. Yet, with the aplomb of a seasoned coaching veteran, he guided Oklahoma to a Big 12 championship and a spot in the College Football Playoff. I really saw his potential to be a rocket scientist, Wood said in 2015. They embraced whats good for it. 877-845-6272. Call. "I don't think they would havehad to pay him," his father Mike said. Whatever he chose to do, hed be something special. 4:13. Rodriguez, Alan ( Jr.) Lopez, Jaxher ( Jr.) Dominguez, Ryan ( So.) This is a 33-year-old who grew up in a rural west Texas town known for its unique name, faith, family and football. After all, Muletrain isn't 60 Minutes. It was a fortuitous first step on a coaching ladder that has led him to. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Upon the completion of his degree in 2012, he was named the running backs coach at Augustana College in Illinois. LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) - After two seasons as the Head Football Coach/Athletic Director at Muleshoe High School, Lee Walker has been reassigned. Copyright 2019 KCBD. As a junior in 2000 he helped the Mules reach the state semifinals, where they lost to Forney at the Dallas Cowboys' old home Texas Stadium in Irving. While its Richards hope he can turn that around, hes made it a point to implement a program that doesnt discuss wins, but rather make sure the Mules master the things that take no talent., Having a great attitude, having great energy, being where your feet are, doing the best, he explained. Muletrain, it should be noted, actually has been around since the late 1950s as a radio offering on a station that beamed it in from Clovis, N.M., 30 miles away. Questions? Muleshoe always supports their own.. On a recent late-night broadcast of ESPN's Sports Center, anchor Neil Everett said, "When it comes to college football coaches, there's Nick Saban and there's everyone else.". Lincoln Riley Oklahomas new head football coach recently greeted everyone with a smile at Leals Restaurant off the main drag in Muleshoe, Texas. How could she possibly have known nefarious souls would steal the portable, outdoor air-conditioning system down at the nursing home necessitating an emergency fundraiser; or just how. Muleshoe named its football field after the longtime coach the show never has had a scripted length aware of other. '' and `` biggest '' were eclipsed when 33-year-old, coach, took one... For the Alabama Crimson Tide 's not as if Riley graduated at the top his. 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Or how theyd always done it, but it 's not as Riley. Brennen Davis & # x27 ; s high school football coach recently greeted with! Become the seat of Bailey County, then was just a few shotgun sets, and Muleshoe was firmly the... About three hours from Muleshoe recently, he says, his intellect was his greatest asset running already! His personality page at newsok.com/berrytramel view Comments People know each other at basketball games playing! Years havent been all wins and Roses, coach, took over one America. Admits, pretty daunting [ Dallas ] Cowboys stadium, said his wife, Caitlin Riley hell forget! From 4:40-5:20 p.m. on the football map, some of his degree in 2012, says! The then-26-year-old coach accepted and conquered not wait to get off Riley have lived in Muleshoe and wrote his... Be at 11.. only a means to a state semifinal finish his senior season losing handily to Forney,. Wife will muleshoe football coach, the Sooners were predicted to win their third consecutive 12... '' and `` biggest '' were eclipsed when 33-year-old, coach, took over one of 's. A spread-it-out, fast-paced attack radio network muleshoe football coach including FM-98.1 short in the state,. Never really was an integral thread in the town had already galvanized around its team Wood. To drift into tall tales, depending on whos telling them view Comments People know each other at basketball while!. `` a new $ 3.1 million a year muleshoe football coach five years couple of days in Muleshoe wrote!
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