Where Lincoln Riley ranks among head coaches based on playing careers
We know where Oklahoma Sooners head coach Lincoln Riley ranks among his peers from a coaching perspective.
Based on most head coach ranking lists, Riley finds himself as the No. 3 head coach in the country behind Alabama’s Nick Saban and Clemson’s Dabo Swinney. It makes sense as these three coaches have the most College Football Playoff appearances since they went to this model and abolished the BCS system.
However, some head coaches were top players before making the jump to the coaching ranks. Running backs coach Demarco Murray was a five-star recruit that went on to play in the NFL, where he became the league’s leading rusher in 2014 with the Dallas Cowboys.
Some other coaches don’t have that same level of experience. Take Oklahoma Sooners head coach Lincoln Riley for example, he didn’t play at the collegiate level but is still viewed as a top coach in the country.
Adam Rittenberg of ESPN (subscription required) recently published his ranking of all FBS coaches with a twist. How do the head coaches rank based on their playing careers.
Lincoln Riley, Muleshoe High School
(AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
Prior to his coaching days, Lincoln Riley played quarterback in Muleshoe, Texas. Not far from Lubbock and Texas Tech University where he would ultimately walk on to the football program. He spent years as an assistant under former OU coordinator Mike Leach. Riley worked his way up to offensive coordinator at East Carolina before landing in Norman.
Riley’s Ranking: No. 119
What ESPN Says…
Riley played quarterback at Muleshoe High School in Texas, and helped the team to the state semifinals as a senior despite an injured shoulder. He walked on at quarterback for Texas Tech but became a student assistant there for Mike Leach.
At least Riley wasn’t dead last. The coach who gave him his first opportunity, Mike Leach came in at No. 129 overall.
Before mastering the pass-heavy Air Raid offense, Leach played a sport in which only backward passes are permitted. He played rugby at BYU after a high school football career in Wyoming as a backup.
Former tight end’s coach and now South Carolina head coach, Shane Beamer ranked No. 101.
Beamer turned down a partial scholarship at Charleston Southern to walk on at Virginia Tech, where his father Frank was a Hall of Fame coach. Shane played wide receiver and long snapper on five bowl teams and three Big East championship teams. He snapped for the 1999 Hokies team that played for the national title.
Finally, we have former Oklahoma quarterback and current Tennesee head coach Josh Heupel near the top of the rankings at No. 3 overall.
Despite earning South Dakota’s high school player of the year honors, Heupel’s college career began quietly at Weber State, before transferring to Snow College in Utah. His next move to Oklahoma set up a historic run, as he led the Sooners to a national title in 2000. Heupel won the Walter Camp Award, was named AP Player of the Year and finished second for the Heisman Trophy. He went 20-5 in two seasons as OU’s starter, passing for 7,456 yards and 53 touchdowns.
