Oklahoma HC Lincoln Riley Denies LSU Rumors: 'Been Down This Road Many Times Before'

Lincoln Riley isn't going to LSU.

The Oklahoma coach addressed speculation that he may be a candidate for the Tigers' head coaching vacancy Tuesday, saying he is happy right where he is in Norman.

“I coach at the University of Oklahoma. 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 told reporters.

Riley has been linked to several coaching jobs over his five-year tenure at Oklahoma but has remained at his post, building one of the most consistently great programs in the country. The Sooners are 54-9 under Rliey and have finished no worse than seventh in the final Associated Press poll.

So let us address the obvious: No college vacancy is going to lure Riley.

Oklahoma is one of the best half-dozen jobs in the country, and his $7.7 million salary ranks fifth among all coaches. While it's true that outgoing LSU coach Ed Orgeron is one of the coaches with a higher salary than Riley, Orgeron signed his deal in 2020 coming off a national championship—something that's eluded the Riley to this point.

Getting a raise that bumps him into Dabo Swinney territory is likely about as simple as Riley walking into the Oklahoma athletic department with rumors buzzing around his name. With the Sooners set to join the SEC in 2025, there's no added competition bump in heading to LSU, either. It's a lateral move from one school where Riley has built a career to another where he has no ties.

It's not happening.

If anything eventually takes Riley from Oklahoma, it'll almost certainly be an NFL job too good to pass up. Riley has been on NFL radars since his first season as a head coach, and it's not hard to see why. The offensive innovator already boasts two Heisman Trophy winners (Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray) and another finalist (Jalen Hurts); each of Riley's primary starting quarterbacks who have left Oklahoma are currently NFL starters.

The allure of seeing if his offensive genius translates to Sundays may be the only thing keeping Riley from a decades-long tenure with the Sooners.