Lincoln Riley shifts blame for messy exit from Oklahoma

New USC head coach Lincoln Riley is a few days into his tenure in Los Angeles, but he isn’t completely done with discussing his decision to leave Oklahoma.

On Wednesday, Riley joined Fox analyst Joel Klatt to discuss his abrupt departure from Norman and why the college football calendar forces people to make these quick decisions.

“I am because you look at other sports, and it’s not really the case,” Riley said when asked if he is frustrated with the way college football is structured, namely the emergence of the early signing period. “I do think there’s ways that this can be avoided. Really we are all in the same boat, players, coaches. People have to make these decisions so quickly and at inopportune times for their current positions. It’s not good. It’s not healthy for the sport.”

The Early Signing Period begins on Dec. 15, and it has largely taken the place of National Signing Day, which occurs every February. While there are certainly exceptions, most high-profile recruits sign in December.

“We’re all human beings,” Riley added. “This is all our lives. We gotta do in these moments what we think is best. Having to make a decision a few hours after your team plays its last regular season game… It is what it is, and I’ve got to live with the decision that me and my family made, and we’re going to.

Riley was gone from Oklahoma less than 24 hours after his team fell to in-state rival Oklahoma State for the first time under his watch. While the Sooners were effectively eliminated from College Football Playoff contention with the loss, they are still poised to make a high-level bowl game.

“But it’s not ideal. It’s not ideal for anybody, so I hope all of us that care about college football can take a step back and look at this and say ‘Alright, maybe this isn’t good for the game. How can we find a system that works and a calendar that works where people can finish what they started and have more time, and maybe more appropriate time, to make these decisions as they come?’” 

Now Oklahoma will head into the postseason without their head coach, and several assistants including former defensive coordinator Alex Grinch, and they are scrambling to have someone in place to provide recruits with assurance ahead of the Early Signing Period. To date, five Oklahoma players have entered the transfer portal and seven recruits have decommitted, including five-star quarterback Malachi Nelson. Nelson is a California native and is now committed to USC.