Will Rogers was a restless 18-year-old in 1898 when he signed on to be a cowboy for the sprawling Mashed O Ranch, which covered parts of Lamb and Bailey counties in the Texas Panhandle. Atwood, who was one of the four, recalls that the boys were caught as soon as they descended the water tower. Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), AgTexas Farm Credit awards $9,000 in local scholarships Muleshoe Journal | Intl' Scholarship News, AgTexas Farm Credit awards $9,000 in local scholarships. He had a big following when he was coming through high school. Maybe even an astronaut. fellow students never quite understood, she said. He wanted to win in the classroom like he won on the field.". "We had great success there throughout our years. It wasnt until Wood came to town in the spring of 1996 that the teams fortunes started to turn around. Before he even went to Oklahoma, he was talking to some other major colleges. But everyone here trusts Lincoln. Just do what got you here, Riley said. The work was strenuous enough to teach Lincoln Riley the intended lessons about hard work and responsibility but also to convince him he had no interest in inheriting the family business. The older he got is when I was more impressed with him. But everyone agrees that the boy was uncommonly bright, even if he didnt take notes in class and sometimes skipped his homework. Muleshoe Football Coach History Mascot Mules Team Varsity 2022 Colors Black, White Coach N/A Address 514 W Ave G, Muleshoe, TX 79347 Overall 4-1 District 0-0 State (TX) Rank 488. Lincoln Riley's father doesn't seem to be a big talker. 4 min read. Hes well-versed on David Woods success with the Mules, which included a 2008 state championship. But it's not as if Riley graduated at the top of his high school class. A lot of times when people get success at a young age, the humble factor tends to get put on the backburner, Simmons said. blockbuster came in June when Muleshoe's own Lincoln Riley, whose parents Mike and Marilyn still live in Rennels' neighborhood, was named the football coach at the University of Oklahoma soon after the unexpected resignation of Bob Stoops. Thats something they never felt in Norman, where fans would recognize Rileys wife, Caitlin, at the grocery store and knew their daughters names. That part has always been important to me.. How can a West Texas boy go to L.A.? asked David Wood, who coached Riley at Muleshoe High. Wes Wood has hit the ground running, already meeting with the coaching staff and some of his new players. Young kids look up to the varsity kids. Riley caught Wood's eye as a seventh-grader. Seeing the Mules football program flourish while learning from his coach, Eric Roanhaus, New Mexicos winningest football coach, added to Richards desire to become a mentor in the football ranks. His final game at Muleshoe and last as a quarterback in a competitive game was a senior-year loss in a state semifinal game at old Texas Stadium. Although rocket science was not to be, he considered pursuing his mother's dream that he study to become a pharmacist. The streak ends this year. "We'll see," Riley said. In 1999, with Riley as a sophomore lineman, Wood began tinkering with a shotgun offense that called for more passing and demanded a quick-thinking triggerman. "But he was the kind of athlete you wanted running the show. We are very excited after a lengthy process to introduce Jason Richards and his fianc Miss Angela Scott, said Curtis Preston, president of MISD Board of Trustees. "I thought he was more in the realm of NASA or something like that," Wood said. But I think its a wonderful move.. She's from Dimmitt, 45 miles away. Lincoln, theyll tell you, couldve been anything. David Wood was Rileys high school football coach. When he announced it was Oklahoma, I thought, that would be a good place for him to be a head coach, too.'. Upon the completion of his degree in 2012, he was named the running backs coach at Augustana College in Illinois. Two decades later, folks in town are still happy to relive that run through the state playoffs. Aaron Simon, an Angelo State University graduate whos been coaching with Richards for the past nine years, will be the Mules offensive line and associate head coach, while Portales, New Mexico native Chris Mosier the step-brother of former Mule standout receiver Kyle Atwood was hired as the offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach. Riley was a defensive end during his sophomore season at Muleshoe, but he was shifted to quarterback for his final two years. One is USC head coach. But that was 1965, 15 years before the birth of Channel 6. Phone: 918-581-8391. Take a stroll along Main Street in Muleshoe; pay your respects to Old Pete, the mule monument standing guard near Muleshoes only stoplight; hit the livestock auction just outside of town; and maybe stop for a tamale or two during the lunch rush at Leals, the towns beloved gathering spot, and youll start to understand what they mean. After two years as OUs offensive coordinator, hell take over as head coach. And then theres the part about replacing Bob Stoops. But it was no mirage. Former Mule Jaxon Lee, an AP all-state first team lineman for the. October 1, 2022, 12:22 AM. Riley showed the coaches just enough that he was invited to join the team in January. It was so sudden, Graves says. Whatever he chose to do, hed be something special. certain: Neither Lincoln nor Garrett wanted to follow their father into the cotton warehouse business. I knew he was headed somewhere, said Wood. The hustle and bustle is happening at the livestock auction down the highway, where sheep and hogs and goats are being sold at a breakneck pace. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Wood said that Riley got the Mules coaching staff into a meeting with Leach before the 2008 season, and then helped the coaches install the Red Raiders spread offense. We was driving over a Country where 36 years before as a boy 18 years old I had helped drive a bunch of cattle from that very place to Western Kansas, and there wasent a house or a chicken in a whole county. Get the latest D-FW sports news, analysis, scores and more. He was just more of a kid that soaked it all in. I havent been following them as much since the boys got bigger and went to different schools. Before joining the Times in May 2018, he was a projects reporter at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and a 2017 Nieman Fellow at Harvard University. Did Riley envision himself as a future coach? Muleshoe, which would become the seat of Bailey County, then was just a few houses, a school and a cemetery. In years past, he has made it back to Muleshoe every summer. Every time we get steaks and have friends over, they ask, Where did you get these knives? Always my wife will say, The Rileys bought them for us as a wedding gift. He tells me to come and visit him. Momentum was building, and at quarterback, the attention turned to Riley, who Wood says was set to take the reins as a sophomore. Sure, maybe they wouldnt have chosen California as their favorite sons next step. Despite Muleshoes noted success, the squad hit a rough patch, winning just six games over the past three years. Success on the intramural field, spurred him to attempt to walk on to the Tech team in the spring of his freshman season. "I guess probably once I started to think about going to college, I enjoyed the game so much in high school that I felt it would be part of my life some way, some how. But Ellis knows patience is an important part of his job description. He just had natural instincts.". Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, USC hires Lincoln Riley: Complete coverage of Trojans shocking coaching move, extended this week all the way to the state Senate, Lincoln Riley jetted for USC, and Oklahoma is left to furiously wonder why, Breaking down the USC roster Lincoln Riley inherits, Rileys arrival signifies a triumphant return, USC football coaches: Glory and gaffes, from Gloomy Gus to Lincoln Riley, Roundtable: Our March Madness projections for UCLA, USC and others. "We were Tech fans here because it's close," Todd, the undertaker, announced. . Hes got size, hes got a great family.. Muleshoe Mules Class: 3A Division I DCTF High School Ranking: NR Location: Muleshoe, Texas 2022 District 2-3A Division I Standings Team District Record Overall Record Next Opponent Shallowater Mustangs 4 - 0 10 - 2 Idle Bushland Falcons 3 - 1 11 - 2 Idle Muleshoe Mules 2 - 2 8 - 4 Idle Dalhart Wolves 1 - 3 5 - 6 Idle While Riley stayed loyal to McNeill, he also wanted to make sure his next jump was the proper one. ", And so, Wood said, he hitched his career to, "Lincoln helped me get established and stay here," Wood said as he prepared for his 22nd season at the school. In a back corner booth at Leals, where cowboy hats line the front walkway and tables are filling ahead of the lunch rush, Bob Graves is still sorting out his emotions over fresh-baked tortilla chips. He spent a couple of days in Muleshoe and wrote about his drover days. Football offered a nice escape. And maybe after a few recruiting classes keeping Southern California talent at home Riley will be in a better position to take down the goliaths of the SEC by facing them in the playoff rather than tussling with them during the entire regular season. But Riley is still so young in the profession, and the longer he stayed in Norman, the more he risked the fan bases appreciation of him running dry. Donnie trained both of us and patience was a big thing, McNeill said about coaching transitions. One person he depended on during this time was the late Donnie Duncan, a former Oklahoma athletic director. Things got so bad that during Mike Riley's sophomore year. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Oklahomas Lincoln Riley is the nations preeminent quarterback guru, Lincoln Rileys hiring at USC already impacting Trojans recruiting, Malachi Nelson, The 12 hours that transformed USC football: How the Lincoln Riley deal went down, Jaguars, narcos, illegal loggers: One mans battle to save a Guatemalan jungle and Maya ruins. Its hard to imagine a place any further away from Los Angeles. It's just that they have their own homegrown hero Oklahoma Sooners head coach Lincoln Riley. Rileys work ethic and confident mindset were instilled by his parents. But I don't know that I would've gone this way without having the great experience back home.". The pride of Muleshoe is the new head coach of Oklahoma football, and to paraphrase a certain Oklahoma humorist, no one ever met a Muleshoe man who didn't like Lincoln Riley. He joined The Times after six years with the Southern California News Group. Ive never been afraid to go against the grain if I felt like it was the best thing for the team, for the program. This is a 33-year-old who grew up in a rural west Texas town known for its unique name, faith, family and football. Questions? Theres no shortage of small-town sleuths here still wondering aloud why Riley up and left the Sooners seemingly overnight. The Sooners lost their CFP semifinal to Georgia, 54-48 in double overtime at the Rose Bowl on New Year's Day, but Riley had led them to a 12-2 record 8-1 against Big 12 teams in just his first season as Stoops' replacement. Many of the standards of the Southwest. Rodriguez, Alan ( Jr.) Lopez, Jaxher ( Jr.) Dominguez, Ryan ( So.) They say you are raised by a village. He could think on the field unlike anybody else. But after Riley walked on at Texas Tech, then-Red Raiders coach Mike Leach encouraged him to get off . Last week's scrimmage against Olton showed the growth the Muleshoe football team has made over the last year. Conventional wisdom might tell you to stay in that, thats what you do, and I certainly think that wouldve turned out just fine. "One of the greatest assets our town has is its name," Rennels said. It wont be long, Wood assures. District 514 W. Ave G Muleshoe, Texas . a job as an assistant coach who worked with receivers. Hes just an athletic big kid. You can cancel at any time. We're very excited, Mike Riley said. 12 and led the Mules to a state semifinal finish his senior season. A Muleshoe Mule is coaching the Sooners. As you might expect, Runnels, who could double as a one-woman Chamber of Commerce, has a special sweet spot for Riley. This is a compilation of Muleshoe high school football coach history. Continue reading to hear more about OU's youthful coach. The Mules only return one all-district player in wide receiver Irvin Torres. Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley stands on the sidelines during a game against Baylor on Nov. 13. Its because he has an exceptional memory a photographic memory. "School was not his primary motivation," Marilyn Riley said. "He loved the job and was used to working for nothing.". He felt that it was a good opportunity for him. 866-495-5172 Already a member? Few believed it at first. Mike Riley, Lincolns father, was a Mules quarterback through some of those down years. There are high expectations. And, from those days as a young coach on Leachs staff, he hasnt let his own pride bog him down. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. Muleshoes favorite son is now the youngest head coach in major college football. "The value of hard work - I think the community has always been built on that. 877-845-6272. Most recently, he attended a Garth Brooks concert in Kansas City. in 1969, the Mules scored a single touchdown during the entire season. Cortez, Raymond ( So.) He doubled that win total in his first . Greatness, yes. He bought us steak knives with Harrell engraved in them, Harrell said. We were so close in age, it became a friendship, but he was a friend I respected. Get the latest on L.A.'s teams in the daily Sports Report newsletter. Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley talks with his players during a game against Oklahoma State on Saturday. Lincoln knows exactly what the heck hes doing. from the offensive staff at Canyon Randall. Head Boys Track Coach Aaron Simon. Stoops said he wouldnt have retired this offseason if not for his confidence in Riley. They were married in 2007. The people in Muleshoe say they didn't know Riley was headed for gridiron greatness. "Everybody in town knows him," she said. Born in Muleshoe, he was raised and schooled primarily in Colorado. USC coach Lincoln Riley is introduced as the Trojans new head football coach at the Coliseum on Nov. 29, in front a bustling city backdrop vastly different than where he grew up. No matter how savvy the journalist, the decision to eliminate one of the town's two traffic lights has a newsy shelf life. "It's just this year's team," he said. Few will ever forget Riley leading the Mules at Texas Stadium. Hell never forget his roots, Muleshoe Mayor Cliff Black said last week. He was a defensive end as a sophomore, but took over the offense in his final two seasons which included one state semifinal finish. High, a West Texas town of 5,000. But its also a dream come true. Jalen Hurts could be next for the Sooners. The next year he was hired on at Oklahoma as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach under the nationally-renowned Bob Stoops. His offense has placed five players in the top 10 for rushing yards in a season and nine players in the top 10 for receiving yards in a season. Learn how this Muleshoe High School student is connecting with coaches in TX and nationwide. the after-school healthy snack program would be? "Each year presents new challenges, but there are parts of the job and all the things that come with it that I'm a little more settled in with for sure.". , Victor marveled at how much time the older brother spent tutoring elementary school aged Garrett on the football field. Nationally-Renowned Bob Stoops spent a couple of days in Muleshoe say they did know! Just this year 's team, '' he said do what got you here, Riley.... Big thing, McNeill said about coaching transitions the team in the classroom like won! Ryan ( so. birth of Channel 6 person he depended on during this time was the late Duncan. Marilyn Riley said Riley said OUs offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach under the nationally-renowned Bob Stoops of Bailey County then. In TX and nationwide teams fortunes started to turn around depended on during this was... Quarterback for his confidence in Riley it wasnt until Wood came to town in the of! '' he said his homework of hard work - I think its a wonderful move.. 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