Lincoln Riley sounds off on rampant LSU speculation
Ever since LSU athletic director Scott Woodward formally cut ties with Ed Orgeron, it was known he wanted to make a splash with the new hire. Some of the biggest names in college football have been linked, mainly Texas A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher.
Oklahoma’s Lincoln Riley has been in the rumor mill for some time now as well. When asked about the possibility to make a switch to Baton Rouge, the Sooners head coach made it clear he’s happy in Norman.
“I coach at the University of Oklahoma,” Riley said on Tuesday. “You know how I feel about this place and this program. We’ve all been down this road many times before. You guys know where I stand and that hasn’t changed.”
Riley was hired in 2017 after legendary head coach Bob Stoops retired. He has won four consecutive Big 12 championships and appeared in three College Football Playoffs but has yet to break through with a win. Overall, Riley has a 54-9 record during his time as the Oklahoma head coach.
The Sooners are 9-1 this season, fresh off a loss to Baylor. In order to play for the seventh consecutive conference championship, a win against in-state rivals Oklahoma State would be required on Nov. 27.
From a College Football Playoff perspective, Oklahoma is in danger of missing their second consecutive one. The committee was harsh when ranking the Sooners, leaving them on the cusp of the top 10, even with an undefeated record.
Lincoln Riley not only head coach to deny LSU interest
With Woodward wanting to hire one of the sport’s biggest names, Riley is not the only one having to deny interest in the LSU job. Texas A&M’s Jimbo Fisher was asked about moving to Baton Rouge again on Monday.
He denied any interest, saying he would have to be the “dumbest human being” to leave the Aggies. Fisher emphatically said he and his family love everything about College Station.
“I plan on being here, I love the AD, I love the president, I love the chancellor, I love living here, I love being at my ranch, the family loves it here, I love the people, I love Kyle Field, I love all of that stuff,” Fisher said. “I plan on being at A&M, I want to be at A&M, I don’t want to be anywhere else, I love being right here.”
You can watch Fisher’s full response to the coaching rumors here.