Lincoln Riley pens letter to Oklahoma fans explaining USC move

Lincoln Riley left Oklahoma for USC in a whirlwind event that shook Norman to the core. Now, the man attempting to lead the Trojans back to the forefront of college football is speaking directly to the college football world, attempting to explain himself.

In a piece titled Sometimes Life Throws You a Curveball published in The Players’ Tribune, Riley penned a letter to Oklahoma faithful, explaining his decision to leave the Sooners for USC.

“I’ve been asked many times to share my thought process of our off-season move from Oklahoma to USC, and I recognized that this could be a good opportunity to provide some needed clarity and context to my family’s decision,” started Riley.

The former Sooners coach then detailed the opportunity he first received from then-Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops, who offered him his offensive coordinator position. The call offering him the job “truly changed” Riley’s life, and Norman became home.

“Norman was more than a coaching stop — it was home,” wrote Riley. “My family and I made incredible friendships and memories that will last a lifetime. Our second daughter, Stella, was born there, and our family immersed ourselves in the community. The people we met along the way were so good to us, and we will forever be grateful. And boy, did we create some memories along the way.”

Reminiscing over some fantastic times, the former Oklahoma coach recalled some memorable Sooners moments. Some moments stick out more than others for Riley — a double-overtime thriller over Tennessee in Knoxville, his first conference championship on the program’s staff, a Sugar Bowl victory over Auburn and defeating Ohio State in Columbus.

“I could go on for days,” a nostalgic Riley wrote. “There are countless memories, both on and off the field, from my time at Oklahoma that will stay with me forever.”

Lincoln Riley to Oklahoma faithful: ‘THANK YOU’

The new coach of the Trojans wrote that he has “no regrets” regarding the effort he poured into the program. Then, he wrote his long-awaited thank you to the Oklahoma faithful who held him up so high.

“I want to say THANK YOU to everyone who was a part of our journey in Norman: every player, every staff member and every fan,” wrote Riley. “I am eternally grateful for each one of you. Joe Castiglione, Barry Switzer and Coach Stoops are absolute giants in our game, and they couldn’t have been more supportive during our time in Norman. They will always be lifelong friends, as will so many others we met in Oklahoma.

“I was blessed to coach alongside tremendous coaches and staff members and develop relationships with hundreds of young men who proudly wore the Sooner colors. It was an absolute honor to go to work each day with them.”

Afterwards, Riley wrote about how while he was having the time of his life at Oklahoma, “Sometimes life throws you curveballs at the most unexpected times.”

“Honestly, I always figured I would end my coaching career at OU,” wrote Riley. “But when my agent called me to pass along interest from USC, I was immediately intrigued by the possibilities.”

‘Everything that happened next was a blur.’

Evidently, USC worked quickly to secure Riley as their future. After the call from his agent, the former Oklahoma coach detailed the process of leaving the Sooners for the Trojans.

“Everything that happened next was a blur: I jumped on a Zoom with USC officials, I informed our athletic director, Joe Castiglione, of my decision and then, in one of the most difficult moments of my life and career, I stood in front of our Oklahoma team to let them know that I was leaving,” wrote Riley. “I saw the immediate consequences of my decision on the faces of our players.

“I really hated the timing, because our team was coming off a gut-wrenching loss, but with the recent rule changes in college football impacting the recruiting cycle, it certainly affected the timeline and made a difficult transition even tougher. Shortly after that meeting, USC announced the news, and my family and I were on our way to Los Angeles.”

Longtime Sooners fans were miffed by the way Riley left Oklahoma, and the USC coach recognizes that. If he could do it all over again, he would.

“There are aspects of my departure and transition that I would certainly do differently if I could do it again, and I acknowledge that I could have handled some parts of the situation better,” wrote Riley. “I absolutely own that. While I was able to talk with several players after the team meeting, I wish I would have had the time to sit down with each individual player and staff member to explain my decision.”

Now, Riley believes that he’s in a tremendous situation at USC. The Trojans coach would go on to rave about the program’s academics, support and talented coaching staff. He believes they’re building something special in Southern California.

“I’m very thankful for the opportunity at USC and for all of the people who made it happen,” Riley wrote. “My family and I couldn’t be happier to be in Southern California as we begin this new chapter in our lives. It honestly feels like a dream to wake up in paradise every single day.”

‘USC was simply the right job at the right time for me and for my family.’

Finally, amid all the reasons Riley could give, he laid out the one that holds the most prominence — it was simply time.

“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,” wrote the Trojans coach. “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.”

USC fans will love it, Oklahoma faithful may or may not accept it — but Lincoln Riley put his truth out into the world in The Players’ Tribune. Nevertheless, the coach has moved on, and while he appreciates his time at Oklahoma — he’s ready to win championships with the Trojans.

“For my family and I, nothing can ever take away from our appreciation for OU and the overwhelming number of positive things that we experienced there. And now, as we start this new chapter, nothing can temper our excitement to chase championships at USC,” finished Riley. “Fight On!”