Richards comes to Muleshoe from Flour Bluff High School in Corpus Christi, where he served as offensive coordinator. He once played quarterback for the Muleshoe. Oklahoma football head coach Lincoln Riley hugs quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) after the Sooners won the Big 12 title last December in Arlington, Texas. The day he interviewed, Wood recalls, there were three fights in the schools halls. We're pretty exited around here. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. Current OU wide receivers coach Dennis Simmons, who was at Texas Tech for 10 years as a full-time assistant or support staff member, has witnessed Rileys fast trajectory as a college football coach. I cannot wait to get in here and meet the kids and staff, Richards said. But Ellis knows patience is an important part of his job description. Georgia was one of them. Many of the standards of the Southwest. Small town, feels like he's their own. 2023 www.lubbockonline.com. David Wood was Rileys high school football coach. Donnie trained both of us and patience was a big thing, McNeill said about coaching transitions. In Texas, playing football is practically a birthright. Hes gonna make the Trojans a powerhouse again.. 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. Conventional wisdom might tell you to stay in that, thats what you do, and I certainly think that wouldve turned out just fine. We're very excited, Mike Riley said. The news first broke on Twitter by Matt Stepp on December 17 and KCBD Sports confirmed on Christmas Eve. The run still resonates here. "But he had a really good memory, was really good at math and he was very competitive. 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. I really saw his potential to be a rocket scientist, Wood said in 2015. District 514 W. Ave G Muleshoe, Texas . 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. 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. I cannot wait to get this thing going. He introduced his fianc, the head softball coach at Flour Bluff. The town wanted to be good. Mike and Marilyn Riley have lived in Muleshoe all of their lives. And Muleshoe, its a town that backs people from the community. If youre at home, youre trying to be the best son, daughter. Riley played quarterback and defensive end for Muleshoe High School before graduating in 2002. The following season, Muleshoe went 15-0 and won its only state championship. The two weeks since that decision have been a whirlwind in both Los Angeles and Muleshoe, even if the definition differs in both places. "It's just this year's team," he said. The new coach inherited around two dozen players, barely enough to field a full team, and the program was plagued by a lack of discipline. "He wasn't a blue-chip athlete," Wood said. Muleshoe Football History Previous Seasons All-Time Roster 2022-23 ( 36 players) Head Coach: Reyes, Nic ( Sr.) Martens, Nathan ( So.) Berry Tramel: Berry can be reached at (405) 760-8080 or at btramel@oklahoman.com. Head Cross Country/Head Girls Powerlifting Coach . J. Brady McCollough is a sports enterprise reporter for the Los Angeles Times, focusing on national college football and basketball topics. MULESHOE The Muleshoe football team found itself trailing the visiting Brownfield Cubs 23-12 with 22 seconds remaining in the first half when Mules coach Jason Richards thought about taking a . Never mind that Riley was only 19 years old. We were so close in age, it became a friendship, but he was a friend I respected. Family roots run generations deep in Muleshoe, making it sometimes feel like time is standing still. He has learned from experience. While Riley stayed loyal to McNeill, he also wanted to make sure his next jump was the proper one. Note: Lincoln Riley turns 35 years old today. He was a defensive end as a sophomore, but took over the offense in his final two seasons which included one state semifinal finish. He was brought up in Muleshoe after all, raised with its good Christian values. Anytime they wanted to bounce something off of someone, Donnie was the person that they talked to , I think it was their mutual love and admiration for college football. His immediate retirement plan is . He brought belief and hope. The Mules won one game in Woods first season, then five the next, giving Muleshoe its first non-losing season in two decades. Conventional wisdom would say that you guys have been smallish-town people. Both sides of the family were rooted in the farming business. Muleshoe's high-powered offense is led by junior running back Daniel Sianez (579 yards, 6 TD) and the senior wide receiver duo of Ivan Torres (27 receptions, 293 yards, 2 TD) and Eliasar . Deep on the dusty plains of West Texas, where grain silos line the sparse landscape and a dry breeze blows loose tufts of cotton across U.S. Route 84, a stretch of railroad runs along a lonely highway. But its also a dream come true. Once she was his Sunday school teacher. Everybody is just so proud.". Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Greatness, yes. Pride Football camp starts Monday morning. Muleshoe will always be my special village. Will Oklahoma fare better or worse in 2017 season? Even his childhood mischief has become a part of the town mythos. By signing up you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, Stand with us in our mission to discover and uncover the story of North Texas. And then theres the part about replacing Bob Stoops. That was the best the town had ever done, Wood said, until Lincoln., In West Texas, Muleshoes team was for decades a source of disappointment. "I think grit, never giving up and just playing . At the helm of an I-formation, pro-style attack that bears no resemblance to the offense he ran at Oklahoma and will bring to USC, Riley led the Mules to an undefeated regular season in 2000. The next year, with Mike settling in as quarterback, the Mules won three games. Seemingly overnight, the Ivy League discovered Muleshoe. 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. One is USC head coach. He wasnt afraid to change things up, to do things different from what had been done there. It shaped who I am, Riley says. "He knew all the progressions. They celebrated East Carolina University victories when their oldest son spent five seasons as the Pirates offensive coordinator. As a junior in 2000 he helped the Mules reach the state semifinals, where they lost to Forney at the Dallas Cowboys' old home Texas Stadium in Irving. 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. Anyhow, Riley wanted to be a college quarterback, but a shoulder dislocation kept him from reaching that potential. Some speculate the injury mightve changed his trajectory, but the next season, Riley led Muleshoe to new heights as its quarterback anyway. In addition to coaching the Mules to their only state championship in 2008, David Wood put up a. "The value of hard work - I think the community has always been built on that. I remember wed be playing football in the yard and hed be drawing up plays and things, his lifelong friend and former Texas Tech roommate, Jeff King, said during a 2015 interview with the Tulsa World. Call. A rocket scientist. Riley is pure Muleshoe. Just like he isnt shocked by the anger in Oklahoma. One of those guys, not necessarily write things down. First-year coach Lincoln Riley and quarterback Baker Mayfield took center stage Monday, as Oklahoma had its turn at Big 12 Media Days in Frisc. I said, Ruffin, Ive read all about him. But thats the kind of guy that Ruffin is. Lincoln Riley Oklahomas new head football coach recently greeted everyone with a smile at Leals Restaurant off the main drag in Muleshoe, Texas. Then cast your vote, Bruce Springsteen adds to mythology with three-hour show at Tulsa's BOK Center, State board approves new academic standards with Ryan Walters' last-minute revisions, More than 800 Oklahoma medical marijuana farms linked to organized crime, drug agency says, Gov. "Now we are Oklahoma fans because Lincoln is closer. Cortez, Raymond ( So.) Wes Wood, the coachs son who led the Mules to a state title as quarterback in 2008, said that season cemented Riley as his childhood hero. He was telling me about some other opportunities that were in the foresight of his career. Ellis is the third generation to run the funeral home, which his grandfather opened in 1959. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. Life is too short, so dont be afraid to go for it., USC coach Lincoln Riley on leaving his small hometown of Muleshoe, Texas. "I don't think they would havehad to pay him," his father Mike said. Following the 2009 season, he left his position as the Red Raiders wide receivers coach to become offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at East Carolina under head coach Ruffin McNeill. Which brings us to our next topic . But it was no mirage. From Muleshoe to Clemson, Riley carries on the principles of Mike. "Small town, very tight-knit community. When I hired him, Lincoln was the youngest full-time assistant in the country, but he had been with me as a student assistant and a GA for about six years and did a tremendous job, so I had no reservation about hiring him.. While the Sooners did not recruit as much in the Southland in Rileys first five years in Norman, theyve made camp in recent years, pulling commitments in the last year from some of the top offensive talent in the region 2022 five-star Santa Ana Mater Dei running back Raleek Brown, 2023 five-star Los Alamitos quarterback Malachi Nelson (the top quarterback in his class), 2023 five-star Los Alamitos athlete Makai Lemon and 2023 four-star Los Alamitos receiver DeAndre Moore Jr. Those players could switch their commitments to USC soon enough, and there will be more local players and coaches taking immediate notice of Riley putting down roots in Los Angeles to restore the proud tradition of the USC program. 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. "A really exciting time," Rennels called the high-adrenaline week that followed Riley's ascension from offensive coordinator. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. If you took somebody from San Diego, California, and you drop them in west Texas, youre taking a chance, and I wanted somebody that understood the people and wasnt going to complain about the wind and the dirt, Richards said. Riley has surpassed actor Lee Horsley as Muleshoe's most famous son. It's also home to two of the greatest offensive minds in college football. Lot of ag people. Getting Darrell Davis, one of Richards high school football coaches, was something both men have been talking about for 15 years and have made happen. All four quarterbacks are in the top five for passing yards in a season. In two seasons as Oklahomas coach, Lincoln Riley has had two quarterbacks win the Heisman Trophy. The idea of moving to Southern California was, he admits, pretty daunting. By Gail M. Williams Im sure hes got a pretty nice home now, making what hes making., Its possible that Riley has been keeping up with USC from afar given his affinity for Harrell. Will fame (and the fortune of a new $3.1 million annual contract) change Riley? 3 games every Oklahoma fan should circle on the calendar; full season predictions for 2017. "I really . The Mules only return one all-district player in wide receiver Irvin Torres. It didn't take much, however, to get his competitive football juices flowing in Lubbock. But in high school, there were only a few shotgun sets, and the Mules ran a Power-I attack. A humorist and actor and political pundit and newspaper columnist. ", 521 Pile StreetClovis, NM 88102Ph: (575) 763-3431, Powered by ROAR Online Publication Software from Lions Light Corporation 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 Stoops said he wouldnt have retired this offseason if not for his confidence in Riley. A Texas map on the wall of Muleshoe, Texas head football coach David Wood's office marks the location of their West Texas opponents, Tuesday, August 1, 2017. ", Three Oklahoma stars to keep an eye on in 2017 season, Watch for these three Oklahoma players to have breakout seasons in 2017. But when they worked there during high school, the boys learned valuable life lessons such as time management and the importance of every worker in the chain. Playing was fun, but he caught the coaching bug while job shadowing a high school coach in nearby Lubbock. Atwood, who was one of the four, recalls that the boys were caught as soon as they descended the water tower. Rodriguez, Alan ( Jr.) Lopez, Jaxher ( Jr.) Dominguez, Ryan ( So.) Riley is a Muleshoe native who played quarterback and defensive end for the Mules football team in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Not that the folks of Muleshoe don't respect Saban and what he's done for the Alabama Crimson Tide. Ive never been afraid to go against the grain if I felt like it was the best thing for the team, for the program. In each of his first three seasons at Oklahoma, Riley led the Sooners to a 12-1 regular season, only to lose in the College Football Playoff semifinals to Georgia, Alabama and LSU of the Southeastern Conference. Former Mules quarterback Lincoln Riley . "That's a good question," he said. He spent a couple of days in Muleshoe and wrote about his drover days. Which brings us to our final topic . Lo and behold, we get there in the team meeting and Lincoln was told, Coach (Leach) isnt coaching this game and guess what? We still attended all the games. How USC trainers saved Vincent Iwuchukwu after cardiac arrest, How Lindsay Gottlieb blends family into USCs once-in-a-lifetime season. Annie Rice/Avalanche-Journal Muleshoe's head football coach Jason Richards reacts to water being poured on him after the team's win against Brownfield in a bi-district playoff football. A lot of the values I hope I still carry today were carried from my parents and people in that town. Thats coming from a program last year (where) we had a sophomore that just got offers from OU, OSU and Texas A&M, Richards said of Flour Bluff offensive guard Johnny Dickson. Riley won the Frank Broyles Award in 2015 for being the nations top assistant coach after his first year at OU, but he nearly missed the ceremony. Theres no shortage of small-town sleuths here still wondering aloud why Riley up and left the Sooners seemingly overnight. One is USC head coach. He was a sponge. Garrett, six years younger than his brother, is currently the quarterbacks coach at, But on this Tuesday, the first day of August, Mike Riley is sporting a crimson. Patience and a well-timed recruiting pitch helped USC lure Lincoln Riley away from Oklahoma, sending shockwaves through the college football world. The gridiron, no. He has deep roots here. As a freshman, he had a team-leading 221 receiving yards with a touchdown and will be expected to stay on the field for as long as he can to play on offense, defense and special teams. Its because he has an exceptional memory a photographic memory. USC coach Lincoln Riley remains a celebrated figure in the Muleshoe High football program. The streak ends this year. Everybody in Muleshoe's been real supportive. Still, they somehow became aware of each other at basketball games while playing for rival high schools. Which brings us to our next topic . But Muleshoe wanted discipline, he said. That part has always been important to me.. After two years as OUs offensive coordinator, hell take over as head coach. 1. Things got so bad that during Mike Riley's sophomore year. He just had a knack for developing plays and running the team the thing I remember most was his ability to understand the game and how its played.. (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). We have to put things together, do it again. It attracted 10,000 souls. Lincolns father, Mike, ran the familys cotton compress and warehouse in the nearby town of Sudan, putting Lincoln and his younger brother, Garrett, to work hauling bales of cotton via forklift in the hot Texas sun. Rogers returned in 1934, an international celebrity. Learn how this Muleshoe High School student is connecting with coaches in TX and nationwide. My dad worked me enough there throughout the years that he broke me on that, Riley joked during an interview with The Times last week. From what I understand, Graves says, he wants to build his own program.. When Lincoln attended Texas Tech, about 70 miles northwest of their home, the Rileys cheered for the Red Raiders. Wood, determined to put an end to the exodus, noticed a seventh-grader playing at the junior high with "lots [of] football smarts" if not lots of blue-chip skills. He could think on the field unlike anybody else, Wood said. Wide receiver Irvin Torres read all about him what I understand, Graves says he! 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