Garrett Riley of TCU makes national championship game before Lincoln Riley does
It’s quite a story, and 39-year-old Lincoln Riley can appreciate it more than anyone else. Younger brother Garrett Riley, only 33 years old, will coach in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game on January 9, when the TCU Horned Frogs face the Georgia Bulldogs.
What adds to the richness of this story is that Garrett Riley will coach for the national title just a stone’s throw from Lincoln Riley’s current work office at Heritage Hall on the USC campus. Riley will be in Los Angeles, the site of the TCU-Georgia showdown. Lincoln Riley, one would think, will be in attendance at SoFi Stadium. The Riley brothers will certainly make an appearance before the media (separately or together, maybe both) at some point in the days leading up to kickoff.
Lincoln Riley has coached in four College Football Playoff semifinals, three as a head coach and one as an offensive coordinator. He hasn’t yet won. Garrett broke through on his first try on Saturday in the Fiesta Bowl. TCU defeated Michigan to bring one of the two Riley brothers to the national championship game.
It is worth noting the reaction to Garrett Riley’s big moment on social media, and to point out some other facts about the Riley brothers’ journey in college football this season:
LINCOLN RILEY REACTS
#USC HC Lincoln. Riley on TCU and his brother Garrett Riley making the national championship:
“It was awesome. I was really proud of him.”
Points out the title game is about 30 minutes from his house
— Chris Treviño (@ChrisNTrevino) January 1, 2023
GARRETT RILEY CHUCKLED
Lincoln Riley is 0-4 in the College Football Playoff.
Garrett Riley is 1-0.
Little brother gonna rub it in big brother's face tonight?
Garrett chuckled. "Nah, no. No trash talking."
— Brandon Marcello (@bmarcello) January 1, 2023
FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION
This game great example why Mississippi State shoulda waited hired TCU OC Garrett Riley as next Head Coach who Brother of Lincoln and been perfect to follow The Pirate in Stark Vegas!
Now the Brother gonna end up at another FBS school in 2023…maybe Texas A&M or…Oklahoma! https://t.co/6Z0TF2cLv8 pic.twitter.com/WNfmdfNNNd
— Coaches Hot Seat (@CoachesHotSeat) January 1, 2023
SPORTS!
Who had Garrett Riley winning a CFB playoff game before Lincoln Riley on their BINGO card?
— OU Tierani (@tierani_kristen) January 1, 2023
HAPPY COACH
What a ball game! Our players were ready for the moment. What a Team Effort – 🐸👍
— Garrett Riley (@CoachGRiley) January 1, 2023
ANALYSTS WERE IMPRESSED
TCU offensive coordinator Garrett Riley called possibly his best game tonight. Was ahead of the chess match over and over.
— Allan Bell (@AllanBell247) January 1, 2023
A&M BUZZ
A&M boosters need to be backing the brinks truck up to Garrett Riley’s house as we speak 💰💰💰
— Aggie Sports 365 (@365Aggie) December 31, 2022
TUNNEL VISION
#TCU OC Garrett Riley: "Yeah, I'd love to be a head coach one day. … But I'm not gonna waste too much energy, especially at this point in time, thinking about anything like that. … Wherever you are, that's the big time, that's where you need to be. That's been my total focus"
— Brandon Marcello (@bmarcello) December 28, 2022
NOTABLE
Sonny Dykes and Garrett Riley are branches off the Mike Leach coaching tree. Never forget that.
— Swindeazy 🏴☠️ (@swindeazy) January 1, 2023
PEOPLE KNOW
Johnny Hodges to Garrett Riley in the TCU locker room after the win, “Your brother never did that.”
— Anthony West (@antdwest) January 1, 2023
FUN READ
From Muleshoe to Fort Worth: How a small Texas community molded TCU OC Garrett Riley into one of the best offensive minds in the game.
Plus who can draw up a play better, him or his brother Lincoln Riley? Head inside for the answer: https://t.co/H8XUOwCrYL
— S. Johnson (@StevenMJohnson_) December 28, 2022
TCU BIG PLAY
T-C-U! T-C-U! T-C-U! T-C-U!
📺 @ESPNCFB #Big12FB x @TCUFootball pic.twitter.com/OKXz76Gh39
— Big 12 Conference (@Big12Conference) December 31, 2022
GARRETT RILEY ALSO ACHIEVED THIS, WHICH HIS OLDER BROTHER DID NOT
@MattZemek Fun fact: The Big 12 finally has a win in the CFP Playoffs. They are the only conference in the Big 5 conference not to have a win until today!
— karlcalaguas12 🇺🇦 (@karlcalaguas12) January 1, 2023
HEISMAN CHASE WITH MAX DUGGAN
I caught up with #TCU OC @CoachGRiley in New York and again today in Phoenix to talk about Max Duggan, being at the Heisman Trophy presentation with his brother, his new style of Air Raid, and more.
My latest for @frogstoday right here: https://t.co/V3WKWWz2yI
— Jamie Plunkett (@FrogPreacher) December 28, 2022
BROYLES AWARD
Offensive Coordinator Garrett Riley (@CoachGRiley) won the 2022 @BroylesAward in his first year with @TCUFootball.
QB Max Duggan was a major reason why. Riley discussed what it was like working with the Heisman Finalist. #GoFrogs pic.twitter.com/RgNbSSsZ6N
— College Sports on SiriusXM (@SXMCollege) December 9, 2022
RILEY BROTHERS HEISMAN PHOTO
No matter what happens tonight…this picture represents so much. So thankful for our parents, Mike & Marilyn Riley, for raising us & making nights like tonight possible- pic.twitter.com/JO14PsHWLm
— Lincoln Riley (@LincolnRiley) December 11, 2022
