Barry Switzer names his favorite candidate for Oklahoma job

Hall of Fame coach Barry Switzer knows who his top candidate would be if he were in charge of choosing the next Oklahoma head man. Mike Leach is a name both Sooners fans and former coach Lincoln Riley is familiar with, and Switzer believes he’d be the perfect fit.

“I would go with Mike Leach because you’ve got to have an offensive coach,” Switzer said in an ESPN radio appearance. “You’ve got to have one that’s good with quarterbacks. The quarterbacks know that he coaches them, they figure out the game together and he calls the plays. That’s exactly what Lincoln Riley does and Lincoln coached for Mike Leach for years.”

Leach, the current coach at Mississippi State, has made a name for himself at several programs around the country. He helped turn Texas Tech into a Big 12 contender in the early 2000s, amassing a 84-43 record in 10 seasons with the Red Raiders.

Riley originally got his start playing as a walk-on quarterback at Texas Tech behind senior signal-caller Kliff Kingsbury and backup B.J. Symons. From there, he eventually became a graduate assistant under Leach and then moved up to wide receivers coach.

For Switzer, who said the Sooners need a coach of the Riley mold, that connection can’t be ignored.

“He coached with Lincoln Riley,” Switzer said. “He taught Lincoln Riley his system. And he’s won everywhere he’s been. At Texas Tech, he had 10-win seasons. He goes to Washington State and wins 10 at Washington State. He’s just now gotten to Mississippi State, who isn’t a powerhouse in the SEC. They’re a cellar team. All of a sudden, he’s got them to a bowl. So he would be my guy.”

After leaving Texas Tech, Leach took over Washington State in 2012. After a rough first few seasons, he eventually turned them into a Pac-12 contender, leading them to an 11-2 record and Alamo Bowl victory in 2018.

The Sooners find themselves in search of the 23rd head football coach in program history following the announcement of Riley’s departure for USC on Sunday. Another Sooners legend, Bob Stoops, will serve as the interim coach for Oklahoma’s bowl game.

Clemson defensive coordinator and associate head coach Brent Venables is another highly mentioned candidate. He held the same position for the Sooners from 2004-11. First-year South Carolina coach Shane Beamer, who served on the Oklahoma staff from 2018-20, is another name that has been brought up. However, neither of these coaches are the top candidate for the Oklahoma job according to Barry Switzer.

Still, with the rich history of the program, the Sooners should have their pick from a large pool of candidates. In a Monday press conference, Stoops said he expects the vacancy to be filled relatively quickly.

“This job is gonna attract the very best in the coaching world and they’re already lined up and called,” Stoops said. “This is a real job. This is a great job and a great university with great leadership.”