What is the real reason Lincoln Riley left Oklahoma? USC HC's professional career explored

Lincoln Riley looked set to have a long tenure coaching the Oklahoma Sooners. When he was handed the role in 2017, he was in his early 30s. In addition, he was unproven in any prior head coaching role as OU was offering him his first opportunity in that role.

He repaid the university's faith by leading the Sooners to four Big 12 championship titles in his first four seasons. It caught people by surprise, therefore, when he left to coach the USC Trojans after the 2021 season. And many still wonder: What is the real reason Lincoln Riley left Oklahoma?

What is the real reason Lincoln Riley left Oklahoma?

The real reason Lincoln Riley left Oklahoma was that he felt the USC job was the next big opportunity for his career and family. He expressed his reason for leaving Oklahoma with The Players Tribune. He said that it was a difficult decision, but one that he had to make.

“We all have moments in life where we are faced with difficult choices, and this was the path my family and I chose," Riley said. "I don’t expect everyone to understand. In my line of work, that’s not possible.”

Exploring Lincoln Riley’s coaching journey

Riley was a walk-on quarterback for the Texas Tech Red Raiders. He became a student assistant and moved swiftly through the ranks to eventually become the wide receivers coach. Following Mike Leach’s firing from Texas Tech, Riley also left for East Carolina, where he was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.

He moved to Oklahoma in 2015 to work as the offensive coordinator under Bob Stoops. He succeeded Stoops as head coach in 2017 and led the team to a Big 12 championship title in his first season, ending the season at No. 2 in the CFP ranking. He went on to win the Big 12 every season in his first four seasons in charge of the Sooners.

The 2021 season wasn’t as successful, but the Sooners still posted a 10-2 record under Riley’s leadership. He left Oklahoma having compiled a 55-10 record, the highest winning ratio in the program's history.

Riley took the USC Trojans to the Pac-12 championship game in 2022, his first season in charge. However, he lost to Utah. So far, the No. 8 Trojans have won all four of their games this season.