With Bob Stoops sudden retirement, Oklahoma's Offensive Coordinator Lincoln Riley will be taking the reins of the Sooner football program.

#Baylor HC Matt Rhule says he's sure Lincoln Riley will do a really good job as #Oklahoma's new head coach pic.twitter.com/sv0RQ6Pq6z

— Jessica Morrey (@JessicaMorrey) June 7, 2017

For the last two years, Lincoln Riley has been the offensive coordinator for Oklahoma. In that capacity he has been recruiting in the State of Texas. He has lots experience in this regard because he was also an assistant coach at Texas Tech for seven years during the Mike Leach era.

Riley was raised in Lubbock and began his college coaching career as a student coach during his sophomore year. His freshman year was spent as a walkon backup quarterback to Kliff Kingsbury at Texas Tech during Art Briles last year as an assistant there. After that first year with Briles, he became a student assistant to Mike Leach, gradually progressing to graduate assistant and then to receivers coach.

Following his departure from Texas Tech (after the firing of Leach), Lincoln went on to serve five seasons as offensive coordinator/AHC at East Carolina University under Ruffin McNeill. While at East Carolina, the wins level rose from 5-7 in 2011 to 10-3 in 2013. In 2013 East Carolina defeated in state rivals North Carolina and North Carolina State. When Lincoln Riley left to join the Sooners in 2015, ECU's wins level reverted back to 5-7 and head coach Ruffin McNeill was fired.

Riley was hired by Bob Stoops at Oklahoma to be their offensive coordinator on January 12, 2015. In his first season at Oklahoma, Riley led the Sooners to the 7th ranked offense in the country and to the College Football Playoff. He also won the Broyles Award, awarded to the nation's top assistant coach. The 2016 season brought with it what Bob Stoops described as an offensive explosion. The Sooners went undefeated in conference play, and went on to defeat Auburn in the Sugar Bowl.

In promoting Lincoln Riley to head coach, Oklahoma retains its fresh rising talent that is primed and ready to move to the next level. Oklahoma will have the youngest head coach in the college ranks (three years younger than P.J. Fleck) who brings with him his 15 years of college level experience including 10 years of experience at the college level in the State of Texas, and eight proven years as an offensive coordinator. Riley will now begin his head coaching career and will be that franchise Head Coach that will take the Sooners into the coming years and through the much anticipated 2025 conference reshuffle.

Great being able to share this one with my friend/mentor Gil Brandt pic.twitter.com/GLFzOt9ySA

— Lincoln Riley (@LincolnRiley) October 8, 2016