Lincoln Riley Reveals Honest Reason Behind Oklahoma Departure

Riley: "Since my move, many have asked me why I would leave Oklahoma."

USC head football coach Lincoln Riley spoke out in a vulnerable letter with The Players Tribune, detailing his difficult decision to leave Oklahoma.

Riley cleared up any confusion on his departure from Norman, and revealed the main reason why he accepted the USC job.

Lincoln Riley 

"Since my move, many have asked me why I would leave Oklahoma, and the best — and most honest — answer is that the opportunity at USC was simply the right job at the right time for me and for my family," Riley said.

"We all have moments in life where we are faced with difficult choices, and this was the path my family and I chose. I don’t expect everyone to understand; in my line of work, that’s not possible."

Riley was hired by USC Athletics on November 28, just one day after Oklahoma fell to Oklahoma State 37-33. 

“We are ecstatic to announce Lincoln Riley as our new head coach and welcome his wife Caitlin and their daughters Sloan and Stella to the Trojan Family,” said USC AD Mike Bohn.

“Lincoln is the rarest combination of extraordinary person and elite football coach. His successes and offensive accolades as a head coach the past five years are astonishing. Lincoln will recruit relentlessly, develop his players on and off the field, and implement a strong culture in which the program will operate with the highest level of integrity and professionalism.

“Lincoln is universally considered one of the brightest and most talented football coaches in the nation, and the fact that he chose USC is a testament to the strength of our brand, the power of the Trojan Family, and the leadership of our university. This is for our current players, our former players, our alumni, our fans, and our entire university community. Our time is now.” 

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