Meet Mike Riley, the New Head Coach of Nebraska Football

Say hello to your new head coach, Nebraska fans. Mike Riley is officially in charge.

Riley is an Idaho native and a graduate of the University of Alabama. He played for Paul “Bear” Bryant and won three SEC titles and one national championship, per Huskers.com. Despite earning a bachelor’s degree in Social Science, Riley said he was born to coach football.

"For me personally, I never knew what else there was to be besides a football coach," he said during his introductory press conference. "I went to college and got my history degree, and I have never taught history."

Riley was signed to a five-year contract and will earn $2.7 million per year. He will have an automatic $100,000 increase every year of his contract, as Eric Olson of the Associated Press reported.

That's not all you need to know about Nebraska's new head coach, though. From his experience to his ability to develop talent, fans have a lot to learn about the man from Corvallis, Oregon.

Here's what you need to know about Riley.

He's Well Liked

This is important. While winning championships are too, Shawn Eichorst was clear that it means nothing if it's not done the right way.

"I want us to compete for Big Ten championships and national championships," Eichorst said. "But those pursuits are meaningless unless we do it the right way: with class, sportsmanship and integrity."

Riley embodies those traits. Looking at the national media's reaction to Nebraska hiring Riley shows that.

Unfortunately, Bo Pelini never was able to really create that relationship with the public. While @FauxPelini and the famous cat helped, it wasn't enough in the end.

As for Riley, he has a slew of fans from all across the country. Nebraska fans may be getting used to the new coach, but one thing everyone can rest easy with: Riley is well liked.

He Can Recruit, but More Importantly: He Can Develop Talent

Riley knows how to recruit. However, looking at his recruiting class rankings while at Oregon State may not give the most confidence to fans. The Omaha World-Herald, using Rivals.com, put together those rankings for reference:

Year	Rank	Five Stars	Four Stars	Three Stars
2002	52	0	3	9
2003	51	0	0	13
2004	31	0	3	17
2005	47	0	2	8
2006	41	0	2	14
2007	47	0	2	16
2008	52	1	0	10
2009	54	0	1	13
2010	44	0	4	12
2011	56	0	1	15
2012	59	0	2	16
2013	39	0	1	21
2014	54	0	0	17

The Omaha World-Herald didn't stop there, though. The newspaper also highlighted AP All-Americans Oregon State produced in those same years.

Year	Name	Team
1998	Inoke Breckterfield, DE	Third Team
2000	Ken Simonton, RB	Second Team
2000	Chris Gibson, Center	Third Team
2002	Steven Jackson, RB	Third Team
2003	Steven Jackson, RB	Third Team
2004	Mike Hass, WR	Third Team
2004	Mitch Meeuwsen, Safety	Third Team
2005	Mike Hass, WR	First Team
2005	Alexis Serna, Kicker	Second Team
2006	Sammie Stroughter, All-purpose	Third Team
2008	Andy Levitre, OT	Second Team
2008	Jacquizz Rodgers, RB	Third Team
2009	James Rodgers, All-purpose	Second Team
2009	Jacquizz Rodgers, RB	Third Team
2010	Stephen Paea, DT	First Team
2012	Jordan Poyer, CB	First Team
2013	Brandin Cooks, WR	First Team

It's interesting to look at, isn't it? What it shows is that Riley may not recruit the flashiest, highest-rated players, but what he does instead is find the raw talent and develop it.

Many have said Nebraska has better resources than Oregon State. The question was even brought up in Riley's introductory press conference.

"You know, I think that resource-wise I tend to be one of those guys that looks at the bright side," he said. "So what you have you enhance, and what you don’t have you try to make better."

It also doesn't hurt that Riley has recruiting ties in Texas—a state Nebraska focused on heavily while a member of the Big 12, although a slight shift in recruits from the Longhorn state has happened as a result of the conference change. Husker fans would like to see more attention put back in Texas, which is something Riley can do.

So take heart, Nebraska fans. Riley's recruiting rankings may not look impressive at first, but they don't tell the whole story.

He Has Experience

There's no denying the experience Riley brings to the table. In fact, it may be the most impressive aspect of his resume if you had to pick one.

The experience was enough to impress junior offensive lineman Givens Price. After Riley was introduced, a few players had a chance to speak with the media.

“I really wasn’t sure who he was but I did a little research myself, and I was impressed with the things that I’ve read," Price said. "I know he was in the NFL, and he’s been coaching for a while. When you have that much experience, you’ve been bouncing around; you’re going to be good at what you do. So I’ve been reading he’s an incredible teacher so I’m looking forward to that.”

Price is right. Riley has been coaching for some time, not only in the United States.

As a coach of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League, Riley won two Grey Cup championships, which brings intrigue to those in the college football realm.

Nebraska fans obviously want Riley to win championships. Eichorst believes the experience the 61-year-old coach has will pay off in the long run.

"Simply, we will win with Mike," Eichorst said.

He Appreciates Nebraska's History

At the podium during his press conference, Riley couldn't say enough about the history and tradition of Nebraska football.

“My knowledge of football about Nebraska goes back to what everybody knows of Nebraska football nationally," he said. "That was me, except I was a freshman on that team that Johnny Rogers ran all over in the Orange Bowl against Alabama. So I am deeply respectful of history and tradition in our world of college sports. Nebraska has it."

He also referenced one of former Nebraska head coach Tom Osborne's books and how he has used it to draw inspiration from prior to team meetings.

Additionally, Riley respects Nebraska's storied tradition of the walk-on program. As a result, he fully intends to keep it in place.

"I think, historically, it’s been one of the neat things about Nebraska football," he said. "The tradition of so many walk-on players and contributions they’ve made to the program. Believe me, I am all for it. "

If Nebraska fans feel good about nothing else, Riley's understanding of what Nebraska has been and what it can be again has to be bright spot.

All quotes obtained firsthand via the Huskers' introductory press conference, unless otherwise noted.