quarterback, led the Mules 400 miles to a Class 3A state semifinal game at Texas Stadium in Irving. 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. 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. filled out recruiting questionnaires, his SAT and ACT scores made more impact with some coaches than his measurable football skills. Ive never been afraid to go against the grain if I felt like it was the best thing for the team, for the program. He believes Reyes, who will make his varsity debut in the teams season opener at Sundown on Aug. 28, could be one of the best offensive linemen hes ever coached. You are the OC (offensive coordinator).. We're very excited, Mike Riley said. Even in the classroom, when the teacher was giving notes, he'd just soak it in. 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. Former Texas Tech coach Mike Leach saw that same attribute in Riley. 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. Former Mule Jaxon Lee, an AP all-state first team lineman for the squad, rounds out the new hires as the defensive line coach. Just do what got you here, Riley said. All rights reserved. Although rocket science was not to be, he considered pursuing his mother's dream that he study to become a pharmacist. His grandfather, Claude, was the first, leading the Mules to an undefeated season in 1938. 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. They want their kids to be successful, not just in athletics, but in anything they do.. He told his assistants, "We've got to keep him around. Photo by Bryan Terry, The Oklahoman. Here are five things every fan should know about the Trojans' new coach. Ellis is the third generation to run the funeral home, which his grandfather opened in 1959. Heres little po-dunk Muleshoe playing in the [Dallas] Cowboys stadium, said Wood, whos now retired. Plus, he has the trust of his predecessor. He keeps things pretty close to his sleeve, Garrett says. Lincoln and I had many thoughts he prepared us that way. 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 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. J. Brady McCollough is a sports enterprise reporter for the Los Angeles Times, focusing on national college football and basketball topics. David Wood was Rileys high school football coach. With him, that hasnt been forgotten.. Learn how this Muleshoe High School student is connecting with coaches in TX and nationwide. "Last year's team had a lot of success and that was great. 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. Head Cross Country/Head Girls Powerlifting Coach . Were not allowed to talk about the wind in my program. He used to be a defensive end Lincoln Riley didnt start his Muleshoe High School playing career as a quarterback. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft during back-to-back seasons. The people in Muleshoe say they didn't know Riley was headed for gridiron greatness. Life is too short, so dont be afraid to go for it., USC coach Lincoln Riley on leaving his small hometown of Muleshoe, Texas. A Michigan native and University of Michigan graduate, Kartje previously wrote for Fox Sports Wisconsin and the Bloomington (Ind.) He brought belief and hope. We were on the way to San Antonio and the bowl game and we were obviously thinking we were going to have our normal role at that Alamo Bowl game, said Simmons, who coached wide receivers at the time. 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. But the last 103 years havent been all wins and Roses. For many coaches, its difficult to turn the football mind off. The Riley family came before most other fixtures in Muleshoe, settling in town in the 1930s, not long after the town was incorporated. ", And so, Wood said, he hitched his career to, "Lincoln helped me get established and stay here," Wood said as he prepared for his 22nd season at the school. Start End Years Coach Name Record; 1996: 2011: 16: David Wood: 139-51-0: Add Team Photo. Anytime they wanted to bounce something off of someone, Donnie was the person that they talked to , I think it was their mutual love and admiration for college football. To head coach Jason Richards, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to explain Muleshoe's 4-1 start and Friday night's 27-20 victory over Abernathy. 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.. Hes the person who has a spare second for those wanting to talk to him during visits home. A top-10 preseason ranking is expected and, last week, the Sooners were predicted to win their third consecutive Big 12 championship. Suddenly Muletrain was competing with SportsCenter for eyeballs. Thats what you grew up in, thats what your daughters are used to, Riley says. And Muleshoe, its a town that backs people from the community. The day he interviewed, Wood recalls, there were three fights in the schools halls. But truth be told, Horsley never really was an integral thread in the town's fabric. The couple was on a tight timeline as Scott was scheduled to catch a 5 a.m. plane the next morning so that she could get to a softball game set for 1 p.m. the next day. Learn how your comment data is processed. He took the whip smart but physically limited quarterback aside and asked him to be a student assistant coach. "Now we are Oklahoma fans because Lincoln is closer. He inspired the whole town, Wood said. Muleshoe Mules Class: 3A Division I DCTF High School Ranking: NR Location: Muleshoe, Texas 2022 District 2-3A Division I Standings Team District Record Overall Record Next Opponent Shallowater Mustangs 4 - 0 10 - 2 Idle Bushland Falcons 3 - 1 11 - 2 Idle Muleshoe Mules 2 - 2 8 - 4 Idle Dalhart Wolves 1 - 3 5 - 6 Idle However "favorite" and "biggest" were eclipsed when 33-year-old, coach, took over one of America's most storied. But when they worked there during high school, the boys learned valuable life lessons such as time management and the importance of every worker in the chain. Youre going to put me on the spot, Mike Riley said with a laugh when asked about cheering for Texas. Everybody in Muleshoe's been real supportive. Whatever he chose to do, hed be something special. Its because he has an exceptional memory a photographic memory. "Surely not an everyday event in these parts.". Small town, feels like he's their own. I would put those at the top of the list.". 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. One is USC head coach. They clearly remained friends throughout the years. While other small Texas towns have faded off the map, the dairy business has kept Muleshoes population hovering steadily around 5,000. A lot of times when people get success at a young age, the humble factor tends to get put on the backburner, Simmons said. Later, when his younger brother, Garrett, quarterbacked the team, Wood consulted with Lincoln about their offense. No telling if the city founders had any inkling the name might itself become a celebrity of sorts. But the worst of times came decades later, just as his oldest son was learning to love football. It can be backbreaking work. October 1, 2022, 12:22 AM. Every Friday night that season, Muleshoe shut down. "Yeah, I think that's fair to say," he said. You just have a lot of pride in the town and in the people. Their hearts belonged to the Longhorns until sons Lincoln and Garrett went off to college at Texas Tech. This article originally ran on July 15, 2017. How did Lincoln Riley zoom from Muleshoe High School to the Sooners new head coach? In Muleshoe, no one needs any convincing. Mike Riley calls Muleshoe just like a lot of small towns. Who can help student-athletes cash in? Its something that hes excited about. They say you are raised by a village. The expectations for a quick rebuild will be ever-present, trumping any old loyalties. One is USC head coach. But the rest of Muleshoe moves at a crawl. What had been done was history or tradition or how theyd always done it, but it wasnt working. School was. And maybe after a few recruiting classes keeping Southern California talent at home Riley will be in a better position to take down the goliaths of the SEC by facing them in the playoff rather than tussling with them during the entire regular season. While the Sooners did not recruit as much in the Southland in Rileys first five years in Norman, theyve made camp in recent years, pulling commitments in the last year from some of the top offensive talent in the region 2022 five-star Santa Ana Mater Dei running back Raleek Brown, 2023 five-star Los Alamitos quarterback Malachi Nelson (the top quarterback in his class), 2023 five-star Los Alamitos athlete Makai Lemon and 2023 four-star Los Alamitos receiver DeAndre Moore Jr. Those players could switch their commitments to USC soon enough, and there will be more local players and coaches taking immediate notice of Riley putting down roots in Los Angeles to restore the proud tradition of the USC program. "I guess probably once I started to think about going to college, I enjoyed the game so much in high school that I felt it would be part of my life some way, some how. 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 . Some speculate the injury mightve changed his trajectory, but the next season, Riley led Muleshoe to new heights as its quarterback anyway. Phone: 918-581-8391. His offense has placed five players in the top 10 for rushing yards in a season and nine players in the top 10 for receiving yards in a season. They were some complex plays as complex as you can be at 11.. 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. Riley is a quarterback whisperer, and Southern California is a five-star quarterback assembly line. In 2014, assistant head coach was added to Riley's titles. Some folks waited afterward to get his autograph. Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley already has made inroads in Southern California football recruiting, which should help him bolster USCs talent pool. Jalen Hurts could be next for the Sooners. "That's a good question," he said. We have to put things together, do it again. Fans are already convinced Rileys arrival signifies a triumphant return to the Trojans rightful place atop college football. That number barely fields a varsity team. 877-845-6272. While at Muleshoe High, Riley learned under the tutelage of David Wood, who just retired last month after 23 years coaching the Mules. "It's just this year's team," he said. Hes going to kind of do everything.. 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. When he'd watch film he'd just remember defenses and what not. Seems that back when Riley. DW Rutledge. All rights reserved. Alcohol sales were first allowed in the town just three years ago and to this day some respected folks still remain wary of setting foot inside the bar. 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. Did Riley envision himself as a future coach? This is a 33-year-old who grew up in a rural west Texas town known for its unique name, faith, family and football. Riley was on the football and track teams at Muleshoe (Tex.) Lincoln Riley isnt surprised by the towns confusion. Its like Christmas Eve and Im 6 years old. Back then, that was unbelievable.. Mike and Marilyn returned home from Austin soon after graduation and eventually took over family-owned cotton warehouses in neighboring Sudan. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. from the offensive staff at Canyon Randall. 3 games every Oklahoma fan should circle on the calendar; full season predictions for 2017. 4 min read. 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. And, of course, who knows when those smitten might get engaged or married or when babies will be born? 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. "A really exciting time," Rennels called the high-adrenaline week that followed Riley's ascension from offensive coordinator. But that was 1965, 15 years before the birth of Channel 6. He had a great knack for stuff like that.. Football offered a nice escape. But everyone here trusts Lincoln. There was a problem saving your notification. Find Us . The next year, with Mike settling in as quarterback, the Mules won three games. Patience is the whole key.. USC coach Lincoln Riley remains a celebrated figure in the Muleshoe High football program. Muleshoe always supports their own.. Here's a look back at his Muleshoe, Texas roots. Fortunately, there is a simple, dependable, go-to staple for slow news cycles at Channel 6. Things always change year to year in college football and that's one of the things we enjoy. District 514 W. Ave G Muleshoe, Texas . "We had great success there throughout our years. I said, Ruffin, Ive read all about him. But thats the kind of guy that Ruffin is. Ask anyone in Muleshoe about Lincoln, whose first name is enough around these parts, and they swell with pride. He had a big following when he was coming through high school. HomeDirectoryPhotosAboutContactAdvertise. 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. Others speculate he wanted nothing to do with the Southeastern Conference. He was a young man who could create plays, said Black, the longtime mayor. 12.8K views. High, a West Texas town of 5,000. Momentum was building, and at quarterback, the attention turned to Riley, who Wood says was set to take the reins as a sophomore. Rileys work ethic and confident mindset were instilled by his parents. Copyright 2019 KCBD. Lincoln Riley Oklahomas new head football coach recently greeted everyone with a smile at Leals Restaurant off the main drag in Muleshoe, Texas. But that's not to say Muleshoe is a one-horse town when it comes to college-football loyalty. It's also home to two of the greatest offensive minds in college football. Everybody is so supportive. (Reyes) is a stud. But Ellis knows patience is an important part of his job description. He can be heard Monday through Friday from 4:40-5:20 p.m. on The Sports Animal radio network, including FM-98.1. A humorist and actor and political pundit and newspaper columnist. That notion crossed his mind the last Sunday morning in November, as he decided within a few hours to leave the comfort of Oklahoma for the uncertainty of USC. In 1999, with Riley as a sophomore lineman, Wood began tinkering with a shotgun offense that called for more passing and demanded a quick-thinking triggerman. Mayfield and Murray became the No. Every time we get steaks and have friends over, they ask, Where did you get these knives? Always my wife will say, The Rileys bought them for us as a wedding gift. He tells me to come and visit him. Call. 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. He joined The Times after six years with the Southern California News Group. David Wood was Riley's high school football coach. 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. Really? Everyone knows everyone, especially the Muleshoe native whose hiring as OUs coach created shockwaves throughout the college football world. Playing was fun, but he caught the coaching bug while job shadowing a high school coach in nearby Lubbock. He always has. My dad worked me enough there throughout the years that he broke me on that, Riley joked during an interview with The Times last week. Anyhow, Riley wanted to be a college quarterback, but a shoulder dislocation kept him from reaching that potential. The Wallace Theatre sits on Muleshoes Main Street. His mind was just brilliant. Mules, just as his father Mike had done three decades earlier. Once he decided on the coaching ranks, I figured he'd be climbing up the ladder pretty quickly.. In the beginning, it was because he was the only guy that was around to watch film with me.. Will Oklahoma fare better or worse in 2017 season? There are many friendship threads in Rileys small hometown of nearly 6,000. Outside candidates. The Muleshoe, Texas, city limit sign is seen in the hometown of new USC coach Lincoln Riley in 2015. Muleshoe football went from one of the worst programs in the state to one of the best. But I think its a wonderful move.. The biggest story in town history, she said, has to be the dedication of the National Mule Memorial, constructed in homage to the animal that was once farming's beast of burden. Its going to be a total change for Muleshoe to think about Lincoln being in California. Riley is pure Muleshoe. Some people dont desire to be a head coach. Lincoln Riley's father doesn't seem to be a big talker. Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley watches the Sooners play Iowa State on Nov. 20. Riley, though, doesn't see his biggest 2018 task as replacing a Heisman winner. Theres something about being raised in a small town, said his wife, Caitlin Riley. Will Rogers was a restless 18-year-old in 1898 when he signed on to be a cowboy for the sprawling Mashed O Ranch, which covered parts of Lamb and Bailey counties in the Texas Panhandle. Then cast your vote, Bruce Springsteen adds to mythology with three-hour show at Tulsa's BOK Center, State board approves new academic standards with Ryan Walters' last-minute revisions, More than 800 Oklahoma medical marijuana farms linked to organized crime, drug agency says, Gov. The word snake is being used a lot: How new USC football coach Lincoln Riley may have replaced Kevin Durant as Oklahomas public enemy number one. And then theres the part about replacing Bob Stoops. 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. Today, he contends that their prank, now a part of town lore, was delayed payback for Friona painting the previous seasons score all over Muleshoes own weight room. 866-495-5172 Already a member? But everyone agrees that the boy was uncommonly bright, even if he didnt take notes in class and sometimes skipped his homework. Davis will be Muleshoe's defensive coordinator and linebackers coach after previously being at Texico (New Mexico) High School. 2023 www.lubbockonline.com. So how'd he end up as Oklahoma's headcoach? Two decades later, folks in town are still happy to relive that run through the state playoffs. Junior High Coordinator Ross Johnson. He has two daughters Sloan and Stella with Caitlin, the love of his life. "Each year presents new challenges, but there are parts of the job and all the things that come with it that I'm a little more settled in with for sure.". It attracted 10,000 souls. And perhaps, 2018 will bring another run to the College Football Playoff. 866-495-5172 Already a member? Many of those lakes that Will Rogers saw in the 19th century have now dried out, but the area is prime for agriculture. Muleshoe will be Richards first athletic director and head football coaching position. Garrett, six years younger than his brother, is currently the quarterbacks coach at, But on this Tuesday, the first day of August, Mike Riley is sporting a crimson. We just saw even at a young age he was pretty special for a 3A school, Wood said. He brought a program and a culture to Muleshoe that hadnt been there, Riley said. Column: 15 minutes of fame flies by. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. He could think on the field unlike anybody else, Wood said. He played out the year on the defensive line instead. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. Lincolns father, Mike, ran the familys cotton compress and warehouse in the nearby town of Sudan, putting Lincoln and his younger brother, Garrett, to work hauling bales of cotton via forklift in the hot Texas sun. A farming community sprouted alongside the track soon after some 70 miles northwest of Lubbock and 30 miles east of the border taking its name from the nearby ranch where, legend has it, the original owner found a stray muleshoe lying in the soil. Many of the standards of the Southwest. in 1969, the Mules scored a single touchdown during the entire season. I told him youd better get in shape because youre probably not going to get a down off, Richards said. When I hired him, Lincoln was the youngest full-time assistant in the country, but he had been with me as a student assistant and a GA for about six years and did a tremendous job, so I had no reservation about hiring him.. That part has always been important to me.. Weve been busy, but weve enjoyed every day., I cover the University of Oklahoma football and mens basketball teams. That's part of the challenge you look forward to tackling.". After two seasons as the Head Football Coach/Athletic Director at Muleshoe High School, Lee Walker has been reassigned. He knew exactly how to handle everything from the playcalling to quarterbacks.. But it has come at a price. It wasnt until Wood came to town in the spring of 1996 that the teams fortunes started to turn around. Years later, when asked what hed learned from Wood, Riley wouldnt hesitate to draw parallels to the situation he now steps into at USC. But he dislocated his throwing shoulder before the start of the season trying to make a tackle during a practice. One of those guys, not necessarily write things down. Honest, hard-working people. Riley caught Wood's eye as a seventh-grader. 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. The Mules only return one all-district player in wide receiver Irvin Torres. Riley was on the football and track teams at Muleshoe (Tex.) And it's no mirage. A Muleshoe Mule is coaching the Sooners. Ive always carried that with me., USC coach Lincoln Riley on what he learned from high school coach David Wood, There was backlash to his new, strict approach at first, too. But Muleshoe wanted discipline, he said. Following the 2016 season, he was appointed Bob Stoops' successor, and he guided the team to the 2017 Rose Bowl and a #2 position in the College Football Playoffs. Texas Tech coach Mike Leach saw enough in him to recruit him as a walk on, but it wasnt too long during his time in Lubbock before Riley moved into a student assistant role. Learn how this Muleshoe High School student is connecting with coaches in TX and nationwide. Kind of overwhelmed. . The gridiron, no. Head Boys Track Coach Aaron Simon. Davis will be Muleshoes defensive coordinator and linebackers coach after previously being at Texico (New Mexico) High School. Before he even went to Oklahoma, he was talking to some other major colleges. It was a Sunday afternoon game decided by a Hail Mary on the final play. Growing up here, Ellis says, it often felt like you were insulated from the ails of the outside world. But its also a dream come true. They celebrated East Carolina University victories when their oldest son spent five seasons as the Pirates offensive coordinator. Everyone's a hero in a small town, Wood said. Its hard to imagine a place any further away from Los Angeles. , Victor marveled at how much time the older brother spent tutoring elementary school aged Garrett on the football field. "I thought he was more in the realm of NASA or something like that," Wood said. 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