Oklahoma Sooners Football: Lincoln Riley agrees in principle to contract extension and raise

Oklahoma Sooners head coach Lincoln Riley and the University of Oklahoma have agreed in principle to a contract extension and a raise, which will need to be approved and finalized at this month’s Board of Regents meeting.

The exact numbers have not been released, but I think it’s safe to say that the number will be substantial. Two Big 12 Championships, a pair of College Football Playoff appearances and a bit of NFL buzz will typically do that for you. Coaching two consecutive Heisman winners doesn’t hurt, either.

Oklahoma AD Joe Castiglione hinted at the agreement earlier in the afternoon, and he even took a page out of Riley’s playbook to do so.

After being hired as Oklahoma’s offensive coordinator in 2015, Riley immediately made a positive impact at his new home with his innovative approach to the Air Raid offense — so innovative, in fact, that the term ‘Air Raid’ probably isn’t perfectly apt. Riley, quarterback Baker Mayfield and a number of offensive weapons helped in the effort to right the ship after a tumultuous 2014 season, which allowed legendary head coach Bob Stoops to retire on exceptional terms. Since then, Riley has become the hottest name in college coaching and has piqued the NFL’s interest in a number of ways.

Speaking of that retirement, Stoops clearly discovered early on what seems readily apparent today, which is that Riley is a unique individual who is the perfect man to carry the torch for this football program. The fact that Bob felt so comfortable handing the reins to a guy so young speaks volumes about who Riley is, and it was obviously the perfect move at the perfect time. Riley has taken the recruiting to another level, energized the fan base and endeared himself to the masses. OU and its fans are lucky to have him around, and they can all take comfort in the fact that he’s committed to this university for the foreseeable future.