Lincoln Riley is leaving Oklahoma for USC.
Will the Sooners go back to the future?
The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman first reported Riley’s departure, ending a successful four-year stint in which he finished 55-10 over four seasons and led the Sooners to four Big 12 championships and three College Football Playoff appearances in Norman.
That leaves a huge vacancy, one interim coach Bob Stoops will fill at least in the short term. The intrigue to the opening is Oklahoma will leave the Big 12 for the SEC, and that means big money in the future.
Who could be the next coach for Oklahoma? Let’s take a closer look at the candidates:
MORE: Why did Lincoln Riley leave Oklahoma?
Bob Stoops, former Oklahoma coach
Would Stoops be up for a second stint? Stoops, 61, piled up a 190-48 record from 1999-2016. He won the national championship in 2000 and 10 Big 12 championships. Riley replaced Stoops in 2017, and Stoops spent this season as an analyst on the Big Noon Kickoff. Would he still have the itch to coach long term? Stoops was the coach for the Dallas Renegades in the XFL in 2020. No matter what, Stoops will be involved in picking the next coach.
Mark Stoops, Kentucky coach
Stoops, 54, is Bob’s younger brother and a legit candidate to level up. Stoops is 58-53 in nine seasons at Kentucky, but the Wildcats have had a winning record five of the last six seasons and he has shown a knack for recruiting and development against SEC East schools with more resources. Stoops has a decade of experience in the SEC, and that could be valuable with the move.
Matt Campbell, Iowa State coach
Campbell has been the competition at Iowa State since 2016. He’s compiled a 42-33 record with the Cyclones, and 2021 was their fifth consecutive winning season. Campbell has done a great job at building the culture in Ames, and he has been a candidate for big-time jobs the last few cycles. Iowa State is coming off a somewhat disappointing 7-5 season, but Campbell’s stock still remains high enough this move is possible.
MORE: It turns out USC-bound Lincoln Riley was being honest about LSU job
Josh Heupel, Tennessee coach
You can’t rule this out. Heupel was the quarterback on Oklahoma’s last national championship team, and the runner-up in Heisman Trophy voting. He also was an assistant with the Sooners from 2006-14. Heupel had a 28-8 record at UCF from 2018-20, and he led Tennessee to a bounce-back 7-5 season this year. He would be a high-priority candidate.
Luke Fickell, Cincinnati coach
Fickell might be a longshot given the longtime Ohio roots, but the work at Cincinnati cannot be undervalued. The Bearcats are 47-14 the last five seasons and are on the cusp of becoming the first Group of 5 school to make the College Football Playoff. Fickell can afford to be picky about making the big move, but the Sooners remain a top-10 program and are headed for a larger stage.
Jay Norvell, Nevada coach
Norvell, 58, would not be a flashy name, but Oklahoma fans are familiar. Norvell served as assistant coach with the Sooner from 2008-14 before taking the job at Nevada. He’s 33-26, and the Wolf Pack is headed to a bowl game for the fourth consecutive season. Nevada ranked 15th in the FBS with 36.7 points per game this season.
MORE: Every FBS coaching change so far in 2021
Hugh Freeze, Liberty coach
Freeze is another intriguing offensive hire. He has compiled a 25-11 record with the Flames the last three seasons, and he was the head coach at Ole Miss for five seasons before resigning as a result of NCAA violations. Freeze just signed a lucrative extension to stay at Liberty through 2028, but a return to the SEC with Oklahoma would make headlines — and Freeze might be worth that second chance.