Lincoln Riley: The Perfect Coach for 2020

Oklahoma's precocious coach continues to evolve offensively as he adapts to COVID-19, BLM and more

Is Lincoln Riley the ideal coach in this time of national crises?

That’s the idea posited by Sports Illustrated in Tuesday’s Cover Story, a profile on the Oklahoma football coach by Sports Illustrated senior writer Greg Bishop that explores Riley’s precocious leadership skills and his prodigious football talents.

“We’re watching a coach with extraordinary intellect develop before our eyes,” OU athletic director Joe Castiglione told Bishop. “That’s an extraordinary experience to behold.”

Bishop details the backstory of not only Riley’s transition from wide-eyed freshman quarterback to 19-year-old Texas Tech assistant coach to offensive coordinator at East Carolina to Bob Stoops replacement at OU, but his tact, sensitivity and foresight in handling challenges unprecedented for any coach in any sport.

Bishop also interviews several of Riley’s greatest coaching influences — of whom there aren’t many.

“The guys I study have been guys who have been able to take winning teams, championship teams, whatever, and continue to build — no matter what happens.”

That, apparently, includes pandemics and social justice protests.

Riley compared coaching to solving a puzzle. In these uncommon times, the puzzle has changed.

“It’s still a puzzle,” Riley said. ““Same philosophy. Why change now?”

READ THE FULL STORY

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John E. Hoover
JOHN E. HOOVER

John is an award-winning journalist whose work spans five decades in Oklahoma, with multiple state, regional and national awards as a sportswriter at various newspapers. During his newspaper career, John covered the Dallas Cowboys, the Kansas City Chiefs, the Oklahoma Sooners, the Oklahoma State Cowboys, the Arkansas Razorbacks and much more. In 2016, John changed careers, migrating into radio and launching a YouTube channel, and has built a successful independent media company, DanCam Media. From there, John has written under the banners of Sporting News, Sports Illustrated, Fan Nation and a handful of local and national magazines while hosting daily sports talk radio shows in Oklahoma City, Tulsa and statewide. John has also spoken on Capitol Hill in Oklahoma City in a successful effort to put more certified athletic trainers in Oklahoma public high schools. Among the dozens of awards he has won, John most cherishes his national "Beat Writer of the Year" from the Associated Press Sports Editors, Oklahoma's "Best Sports Column" from the Society of Professional Journalists, and Two "Excellence in Sports Medicine Reporting" Awards from the National Athletic Trainers Association. John holds a bachelor's degree in Mass Communications from East Central University in Ada, OK. Born and raised in North Pole, Alaska, John played football and wrote for the school paper at Ada High School in Ada, OK. He enjoys books, movies and travel, and lives in Broken Arrow, OK, with his wife and two kids.