Family roots run generations deep in Muleshoe, making it sometimes feel like time is standing still. 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. Some people dont desire to be a head coach. Usually, you build those relationships, and youre going to have a successful program., Top Returners: Irvin Torres, Brennen Davis, Zach Hasley, Jacob Reyes, Matt Fabela. Will fame (and the fortune of a new $3.1 million annual contract) change Riley? A high school portrait of USC football coach Lincoln Riley hangs on the wall of his parents home in Muleshoe, Texas, on Thursday, June 25, 2015. Riley was a defensive end during his sophomore season at Muleshoe, but he was shifted to quarterback for his final two years. Current OU wide receivers coach Dennis Simmons, who was at Texas Tech for 10 years as a full-time assistant or support staff member, has witnessed Rileys fast trajectory as a college football coach. Caravans of pick-ups and SUVs would filter out of town for road games, packing visiting bleachers across the plains. "Didn't see eye-to-eye with the coach," Mike Riley said. You can also view his personality page at newsok.com/berrytramel View Comments Its probably one of the most supportive communities youll find in the state of Texas, said Richards, who had been Flour Bluffs offensive coordinator for the past five seasons. Even his childhood mischief has become a part of the town mythos. "I think grit, never giving up and just playing . 866-495-5172 Already a member? 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. But it's not as if Riley graduated at the top of his high school class. He wasnt afraid to change things up, to do things different from what had been done there. The Red Raiders beat Michigan State 41-31 on that day. One newcomer Richards is excited about is Nic Reyes, a 5-foot-11, 275-pound sophomore offensive lineman. The older he got is when I was more impressed with him. Head Cross Country/Head Girls Powerlifting Coach . Anyhow, Riley wanted to be a college quarterback, but a shoulder dislocation kept him from reaching that potential. COURTESY, Grandpa Claude, father Mike and Lincoln Riley, Lincoln and Caitlin Riley are from small Texas towns separated by a 45-minute drive. High, a West Texas town of 5,000. The next year, with Mike settling in as quarterback, the Mules won three games. MULESHOE, Texas -- Magann Rennels has been on the job as a local television newshound for almost four decades. Despite Muleshoes noted success, the squad hit a rough patch, winning just six games over the past three years. Rileys coaching success has been anchored by a spread-it-out, fast-paced attack. "He loved the job and was used to working for nothing.". Tech racked up 579 yards of total offense. Even in the classroom, when the teacher was giving notes, he'd just soak it in. Mike Riley, Lincoln's father and a lifelong Muleshoe resident, said he didn't even know his son was interested in coaching until his senior year of high school. His exit left him stunned and, he admits, a bit disappointed. After two seasons as the Head Football Coach/Athletic Director at Muleshoe High School, Lee Walker has been reassigned. The gridiron, no. Muleshoe Mules Varsity Boys Football Muleshoe, TX FOLLOW TEAM 22-23 V. Football Home Schedule Roster Stats Standings Rankings Photos Videos News More / Muleshoe High School Football Muleshoe Football OVERALL 8-4 0.67 Win % DISTRICT 2-2 3rd in District HOME5-0 AWAY3-3 NEUTRAL0-1 PF318 PA345 STREAK1L Contribute to the Team Complete the Schedule 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. Following the 2009 season, he left his position as the Red Raiders wide receivers coach to become offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at East Carolina under head coach Ruffin McNeill. Which brings us to our next topic . This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. His grandfather Claude Riley, who is 97 and lives at the nursing home with his wife, Evelyn, 89, was a quarterback there, as well. According to the Dallas Morning News, the Mules scored just one touchdown during the entire 1969 season. Riley showed the coaches just enough that he was invited to join the team in January. But he chose football, and his immediate success with three College Football Playoff semifinal appearances in his first three years as head coach at Oklahoma has become an inextricable part of the towns story, one theyre more than happy to share, even if most cant quite reckon with the latest twist. I cannot wait to get in here and meet the kids and staff, Richards said. Mike and Marilyn returned home from Austin soon after graduation and eventually took over family-owned cotton warehouses in neighboring Sudan. 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. Football offered a nice escape. As a senior, he led the Mules of Muleshoe, a town of about 5,000 people, to the state semifinals. A coincidence my step dad is from Muleshoe, and small town doesnt really do it justice. "I really . You know everybody. Once he sees something, hell never forget it.. Hed recently been elevated to receivers coach at Texas Tech after years spent endearing himself to then-coach Mike Leach as a student and grad assistant. Lincoln Riley isnt surprised by the towns confusion. It's also home to two of the greatest offensive minds in college football. I havent been following them as much since the boys got bigger and went to different schools. Ive never been afraid to go against the grain if I felt like it was the best thing for the team, for the program. A lot of times when people get success at a young age, the humble factor tends to get put on the backburner, Simmons said. Lincoln Riley's father doesn't seem to be a big talker. Maybe even an astronaut. 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. Oklahoma mightve tested their allegiances as Texans, but Norman was still the Great Plains. 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. Many of the standards of the Southwest. Growing up here, Ellis says, it often felt like you were insulated from the ails of the outside world. Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley talks with his players during a game against Oklahoma State on Saturday. (Courtesy of Bryan Terry / The Oklahoman). in 1969, the Mules scored a single touchdown during the entire season. Hard-working. We make it a point to, at least at some point during the day, see him face to face. 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. The crowd roared. (Reyes) is a stud. High, a West Texas town of 5,000. He was a sponge. There were multiple years in which we were 0-10 or 1-9, Atwood says. They are high-integrity people who recruit the right way and have a unique ability to work with players on and off the field.. He was a walk-on quarterback at Texas Tech in the spring and summer of 2003 before starting his coaching career as a student assistant there under head coach Mike Leach for three seasons (2003-05), working with the offense. I just knew there were things I wanted to try to do, he says. Jalen Hurts could be next for the Sooners. Weve been busy, but weve enjoyed every day., I cover the University of Oklahoma football and mens basketball teams. What had been done was history or tradition or how theyd always done it, but it wasnt working. Has to have shaped him a little bit.. The first quarterback Riley ever coached was none other than USC offensive coordinator Graham Harrell. He has two daughters Sloan and Stella with Caitlin, the love of his life. Everybody is so supportive. Which brings us to our final topic . LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) - After two seasons as the Head Football Coach/Athletic Director at Muleshoe High School, Lee Walker has been reassigned. "The value of hard work - I think the community has always been built on that. Two years into that gig, Riley found himself promoted to head coach when Stoops unexpectedly retired in June of 2017. They just didnt know how to do it.. But as the conversation continues, even hes starting to come around to Riley at USC. "Surely not an everyday event in these parts.". I certainly wont be afraid to do it here.. Theres an intense sense of pride. It wont be long, Wood assures. It was so sudden, Graves says. Few will ever forget Riley leading the Mules at Texas Stadium. Although rocket science was not to be, he considered pursuing his mother's dream that he study to become a pharmacist. Success on the intramural field, spurred him to attempt to walk on to the Tech team in the spring of his freshman season. Get the latest on L.A.'s teams in the daily Sports Report newsletter. Lincoln has a photographic memory, and when I say that, I really mean it., David Wood, Lincoln Rileys football coach at Muleshoe High. As the young mayor explains, change often comes to town at a particularly cautious pace. Everybody in Muleshoe's been real supportive. Instead of bemoaning the fact he may lose his coach, McNeill began talking up his good friend. Hes going to play receiver, hes going to play corner, hes going to return kicks for us. "It was a great place to grow up," Riley said on Wednesday afternoon during a telephone interview with The Eastern New Mexico News. He was a defensive end as a sophomore, but took over the offense in his final two seasons which included one state semifinal finish. While other small Texas towns have faded off the map, the dairy business has kept Muleshoes population hovering steadily around 5,000. 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. And mirages! On his 27th birthday, Riley called plays in a thrilling season-opening 51-49 win over Tulsa in 2010. "I think I took things from him and a lot of my coaches. Things got so bad that during Mike Riley's sophomore year. The hustle and bustle is happening at the livestock auction down the highway, where sheep and hogs and goats are being sold at a breakneck pace. 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. 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. 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. Riley is a Muleshoe native who played quarterback and defensive end for the Mules football team in the late 1990s and early 2000s. He spent a couple of days in Muleshoe and wrote about his drover days. he led the Mules of Muleshoe, a town of . (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). As a freshman, he had a team-leading 221 receiving yards with a touchdown and will be expected to stay on the field for as long as he can to play on offense, defense and special teams. However "favorite" and "biggest" were eclipsed when 33-year-old, coach, took over one of America's most storied. Ellis is the third generation to run the funeral home, which his grandfather opened in 1959. He holds a masters of administration in education from Sam Houston State University, and graduated cum laude with a bachelor of science in physical education from Eastern New Mexico University in Portales, where he was quarterback for the football team. All rights reserved. (An even smaller coincidence my step dad and Riley are apparently distant, distant cousins). According to a press release, while serving as offensive coordinator, Richards football program had a 51-21 record, including three regional semi-final appearances and two area championship appearances. In 1996, David Wood inherited a Muleshoe program that hadn't posted a winning record in 13 years. "One of the greatest assets our town has is its name," Rennels said. My daddy would roll over in his grave if I said I was gonna root for USC, Sam Whalin, the schools retired maintenance director, says with a laugh. Great, great people. "School was not his primary motivation," Marilyn Riley said. Roster last updated on Nov 14, 2022 @ 4:14pm (GMT) Print Roster Correction All-Time Roster. When Leach abruptly lost his job before the 2009 season ended, Riley was asked to call plays in the Alamo Bowl against Michigan State by Red Raiders interim head coach Ruffin McNeill. Jason Richards grew up in Clovis, New Mexico knowing about Muleshoe, which was only about 30 miles from his hometown. All rights reserved. Get the latest D-FW sports news, analysis, scores and more. 12 and led the Mules to a state semifinal finish his senior season. After all, Muletrain isn't 60 Minutes. Never thought about it growing up, Mike Riley said. 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. 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.. He keeps things pretty close to his sleeve, Garrett says. Riley had instant success at East Carolina, and drew job opportunities from four schools. 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. He's certainly more comfortable in his job than he was a year ago at this time. He used to be a defensive end Lincoln Riley didnt start his Muleshoe High School playing career as a quarterback. Richards comes to Muleshoe from Flour Bluff High School in Corpus Christi, where he served as offensive coordinator. But everyone here trusts Lincoln. Ive always carried that with me. 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. Just do what got you here, Riley said. October 1, 2022, 12:22 AM. Riley began his coaching career at Roosevelt High School in Lubbock, Texas as the team's quarterbacks coach and passing game assistant. Riley, like many young coaches, has grown over the years. He doubled that win total in his first . At USC, expectations are already soaring. 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. Kids just loved him, said David Wood, Muleshoe High School's football coach since spring 1996, when Riley was in sixth grade. He looks back fondly on his upbringing in West Texas and the lessons it taught him. 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. Phone: 918-581-8391. We are very excited after a lengthy process to introduce Jason Richards and his fianc Miss Angela Scott, said Curtis Preston, president of MISD Board of Trustees. 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. How can a West Texas boy go to L.A.? asked David Wood, who coached Riley at Muleshoe High. 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. Greatness, yes. Who can help student-athletes cash in? But I think we saw this move as potentially a chance for them to experience new things, and when they get out in the real world which will come way too quick I want them to have been exposed to different things and different areas and different kinds of people. 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. Former Mule Jaxon Lee, an AP all-state first team lineman for the squad, rounds out the new hires as the defensive line coach. Some were convinced hed leave for Louisiana State. 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