But its what hes always wanted and anticipated. According to the Dallas Morning News, the Mules scored just one touchdown during the entire 1969 season. October 1, 2022, 12:22 AM. His grandfather, Claude, was the first, leading the Mules to an undefeated season in 1938. The Mules won one game in Wood's first season, then five the next, giving Muleshoe its first. It would be a challenge, Simmons said, but one that the then-26-year-old coach accepted and conquered. He has learned from experience. Heres little po-dunk Muleshoe playing in the [Dallas] Cowboys stadium, said Wood, whos now retired. I had to explain everything to him only once. It's also home to two of the greatest offensive minds in college football. 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. Others speculate he wanted nothing to do with the Southeastern Conference. I wish I could have recorded Lincoln with how smooth, precise and decisive he was on that night of the game, McNeill said. That was pretty exciting.. One person he depended on during this time was the late Donnie Duncan, a former Oklahoma athletic director. "Everybody knew everybody. "Last year's team had a lot of success and that was great. In the beginning, it was because he was the only guy that was around to watch film with me.. Here in Muleshoe, the stunning news of Rileys sudden departure to USC late last month was greeted mostly with sideways glances. Youre going to put me on the spot, Mike Riley said with a laugh when asked about cheering for Texas. Small town, feels like he's their own. They say you are raised by a village. 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. 866-495-5172 Already a member? Muleshoe, Texas might see it a little differently. Oklahomas issue during those seasons was its porous defense, but, during the last two years, its offense sputtered (at least living up to its ridiculous standards), as Riley struggled to work his magic on five-star quarterback prospects Spencer Rattler and Caleb Williams Jr. Look, when 10-2 is your down year, youre doing pretty well. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Life is too short, so dont be afraid to go for it.. In a ceremony held Jan. 28 in the Muleshoe High School Library, Jason Richards signed on as the new head football coach/athletic director for the Muleshoe Mules. Which brings us to our final topic . But it was no mirage. I told someone the other day that Ive always felt a strong sense of anytime I was any part of a team, I didnt want to be the one to let my team down whether as a player or student assistant or (graduate assistant) or coach or coordinator or now as a head coach.. in 1969, the Mules scored a single touchdown during the entire season. A Michigan native and University of Michigan graduate, Kartje previously wrote for Fox Sports Wisconsin and the Bloomington (Ind.) USC sent shock waves through the sports world when it hired Oklahomas Lincoln Riley as its football coach. Muleshoe always supports their own.. In a back corner booth at Leals, where cowboy hats line the front walkway and tables are filling ahead of the lunch rush, Bob Graves is still sorting out his emotions over fresh-baked tortilla chips. Oklahoma football head coach Lincoln Riley hugs quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) after the Sooners won the Big 12 title last December in Arlington, Texas. "He knew where every kid was supposed to be on every play," the coach said. (Staff / The Dallas Morning News, courtesy), Are these Rangers good? We were huge Muleshoe fans.. And I think the value of honesty from my parents and in the community, those were things that people expected of you and took pride in. Editor's note: This story was originally published on August 10, 2017. He could think on the field unlike anybody else, Wood said. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. Mike Riley, Lincolns father, was a Mules quarterback through some of those down years. 33 years old, due to turn 34 early in the Sooners' season, and Riley was atop one of the greatest college football peaks there is. "But he was the kind of athlete you wanted running the show. Has to have shaped him a little bit.. And Muleshoe, its a town that backs people from the community. Although rocket science was not to be, he considered pursuing his mother's dream that he study to become a pharmacist. Riley caught Wood's eye as a seventh-grader. Atwood, who was one of the four, recalls that the boys were caught as soon as they descended the water tower. Hes just an athletic big kid. from the offensive staff at Canyon Randall. Junior High Coordinator Ross Johnson. Here are five things every fan should know about the Trojans' new coach. Greatness, yes. The town wanted to be good. A look at what Lincoln Rileys USC team could look like come the 2022 season. Plus, he has the trust of his predecessor. Hes a great, great dad, Caitlin Riley said. Head Boys Track Coach Aaron Simon. It was a fortuitous first step on a coaching ladder that has led him to. David Wood was Rileys high school football coach. Heres everything you need to know about Riley. You can cancel at any time. You could see anything in the world just ahead of you. Maybe even a national title. Stoops said he wouldnt have retired this offseason if not for his confidence in Riley. COURTESY/Riley family. He inspired the whole town, Wood said. With him, that hasnt been forgotten.. We just saw even at a young age he was pretty special for a 3A school, Wood said. When Lincoln attended Texas Tech, about 70 miles northwest of their home, the Rileys cheered for the Red Raiders. Learn how this Muleshoe High School student is connecting with coaches in TX and nationwide. They just didnt know how to do it.. 12.8K views. He's been too busy. Muleshoe dropped a 28-27 decision to Merkel in the area round of the Class 3A Division I playoffs last weekend. Theirs is one of many businesses in town that have been passed down, then passed down again, lending Muleshoe an ingrained sense of continuity and pride. He doubled that win total in his first . Muleshoe (locals pronounce it mule-SHOE), named in honor of a nearby ranch and developed in 1913 to take advantage of commerce sure to come with newly laid railroad tracks linking Lubbock to New Mexico, was back on the map. Head Boys Powerlifting Coach Jaxon Lee. 2023 www.lubbockonline.com. Call. Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley, center, talks with quarterback Caleb Williams (13) and quarterback Spencer Rattler (7) before a game against Iowa State on Nov. 20. Ive got to do my best to take advantage of the situation the continuity that was kept on so many different levels: players, staff, so many different people, with how this (coaching transition) went down, Riley said. He looks back fondly on his upbringing in West Texas and the lessons it taught him. The selection committee sorted through 112 applications and interviewed six applicants on Jan. 22 and 23 before determining that Richards would be their choice. We make it a point to, at least at some point during the day, see him face to face. The news first broke on Twitter by Matt Stepp on December 17 and KCBD Sports confirmed on Christmas Eve. "But he had a really good memory, was really good at math and he was very competitive. Find content for all Muleshoe Mules' Football teams covered by MaxPreps over the years. In a ceremony held Jan. 28 in the Muleshoe High School Library, Jason Richards signed on as the new head football coach/athletic director for the Muleshoe Mules. Watch the latest highlight videos for the Muleshoe Varsity Football team When he announced it was Oklahoma, I thought, that would be a good place for him to be a head coach, too.'. 1 overall by the Cleveland Browns in last April's NFL Draft. Wood always saw the mind of a coach when Riley was one of his players. Getting Darrell Davis, one of Richards high school football coaches, was something both men have been talking about for 15 years and have made happen. First-year coach Lincoln Riley and quarterback Baker Mayfield took center stage Monday, as Oklahoma had its turn at Big 12 Media Days in Frisc. A lot of the values I hope I still carry today were carried from my parents and people in that town. the after-school healthy snack program would be? As you might expect, Runnels, who could double as a one-woman Chamber of Commerce, has a special sweet spot for Riley. Harrell told The Times, Really Lincoln was the first person that taught me Mike Leachs offense. Last week's scrimmage against Olton showed the growth the Muleshoe football team has made over the last year. 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. "Surely not an everyday event in these parts.". He wasnt afraid to change things up, to do things different from what had been done there. Oklahoma University head football coach Lincoln Riley raises the Big 12 Championship trophy after the Sooners beat TCU 41-17 in the conference title game at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas last December. That was the best the town had ever done, Wood said, until Lincoln., In West Texas, Muleshoes team was for decades a source of disappointment. Both sides of the family were rooted in the farming business. He was telling me about some other opportunities that were in the foresight of his career. By June, however, coach Mike Leach had seen enough. ", football hit an extended drought in the second half of the 20th century as coaches came and went with remarkable regularity. No telling if the city founders had any inkling the name might itself become a celebrity of sorts. Under Walkers leadership, the Mules went 1-19 over the two seasons. This article originally ran on July 15, 2017. But well take him lunch or go to practice.. Former Mule Jaxon Lee, an AP all-state first team lineman for the. 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. He played out the year on the defensive line instead. A statue of Old Pete stands near Muleshoes only stoplight and celebrates the role of the mule in Texas history. New USC football coach Lincoln Riley grew up in Muleshoe, Texas. That's part of the challenge you look forward to tackling.". I havent been following them as much since the boys got bigger and went to different schools. Riley is a fierce competitor, but it would be naive to think that Oklahomas upcoming move to the SEC where the Sooners will be one of six programs which expect to annually compete for national championships wasnt something he weighed in making this shocking move west. Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley yells from the sideline during a game. Los Angeles, on the other hand that felt like a world apart from Muleshoe. USC coach Lincoln Riley remains a celebrated figure in the Muleshoe High football program. Richards maintained most of the coaching staff while hiring on four new coaches, all of whom either have a connection to Muleshoe or a general knowledge of west Texas. Years later, when asked what hed learned from Wood, Riley wouldnt hesitate to draw parallels to the situation he now steps into at USC. He told his assistants, "We've got to keep him around. Each of the thousands of bales waiting to be loaded and shipped off weighs up to 500 pounds. Hes the person who has a spare second for those wanting to talk to him during visits home. Some folks waited afterward to get his autograph. Riley has surpassed actor Lee Horsley as Muleshoe's most famous son. Im sure hes got a pretty nice home now, making what hes making., Its possible that Riley has been keeping up with USC from afar given his affinity for Harrell. Over time, some of the Riley stories from those days have come to drift into tall tales, depending on whos telling them. Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley talks with his players during a game against Oklahoma State on Saturday. 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. sternly in a slow West Texas drawl, leaving no doubt that there would be nothing further from him on the topic. (Courtesy of Bryan Terry / The Oklahoman). Success on the intramural field, spurred him to attempt to walk on to the Tech team in the spring of his freshman season. But after Riley walked on at Texas Tech, then-Red Raiders coach Mike Leach encouraged him to get off . No matter what he decided to go into, whether it was coaching or science or math, whatever he wanted to do, I knew he'd be going somewhere and it would be pretty special. As impressed as Wood was with his Muleshoe quarterbacks ability on the field, he was just as amazed by his off-the-field work. We have to put things together, do it again. 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. The Riley family came before most other fixtures in Muleshoe, settling in town in the 1930s, not long after the town was incorporated. 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. Great, great people. All rights reserved. 0:46 The Muleshoe Mules had a combined 1-20 record in the two years preceding the hiring of head football coach and athletic director Jason Richards in January 2020. Muleshoe will always be my special village. Riley is pure Muleshoe. . There are high expectations. Richards noted the juniors ability to play wide receiver, running back and quarterback on offense as well as defensive back on defense. Really? While at Muleshoe High, Riley learned under the tutelage of David Wood, who just retired last month after 23 years coaching the Mules. People know each other. School was. He has other big ideas to move Muleshoe forward. Evaluate Brennen Davis's football recruiting profile. Thats a whole nother world than what he grew up in, said Alice Liles, who taught Rileys advanced English class and authored a book on the town. After watching Riley try to make it as a walk-on quarterback, the coach offered Riley a student assistant coaching job. He was a defensive end as a sophomore, but took over the offense in his final two seasons which included one state semifinal finish. Once he sees something, hell never forget it.. MULESHOE The Muleshoe football team found itself trailing the visiting Brownfield Cubs 23-12 with 22 seconds remaining in the first half when Mules coach Jason Richards thought about taking a . Wes Wood has hit the ground running, already meeting with the coaching staff and some of his new players. Two years into that gig, Riley found himself promoted to head coach when Stoops unexpectedly retired in June of 2017. 2023 www.oklahoman.com. Head Girls Track Coach Adrienne Ross. "A really exciting time," Rennels called the high-adrenaline week that followed Riley's ascension from offensive coordinator. Role of the values I hope I still carry today were carried from my parents and in!, but one that the then-26-year-old coach accepted and conquered only stoplight and celebrates role... `` last year soon as they descended the water tower shaped him a little differently and. Big ideas to move Muleshoe forward like a world apart from Muleshoe on. 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