Where does Lincoln Riley land on Sporting News 'Top 25 FBS coaches for 2021'?
As the 2021 college football season approaches, not only do player evaluations commence but also for head coaches. They have the challenging task of maximizing talent, being aggreggive recruitors, and creating a winning culture. Annually, Sporting News ranks the top FBS coaches. Both Alabamas Nick Saban and Clemsons Dabo Swinney sit atop the compilation at No. 1 and No. 2 for the fourth straight season, but the competition within the rest of the ranking is intriguing. SN released their top 25 FBS coaches entering the 2021 season and Oklahomas Lincoln Riley lands at No. 3. Lowdown: Like Ryan Day, Riley faced impossible expectations when he took over for Bob Stoops. The Sooners have won four straight Big 12 championships, and Riley brings back an offense that has the program looking to break through after four CFP semifinal losses. You could put Day here, but Riley has been at it a little bit longer. Sure, success can be weighed by the the ultimate achivement of winning a national championship but what Lincoln Riley has done with Oklahomas program cannot be understated. Since taking over in 2017 as head coach of the Sooners, he has accumulated an overall record of 45-8, winning four straight Big 12 crowns. His innovative evolution of the Air Raid has brought success for multiple signal callers. Riley has changed the system to benefit the quarterback and it has paid dividends. Both transfers Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray became Heisman Trophy winners and first overall selections in their respective drafts with Rileys tutleage in Norman. Then dual-threat QB Jalen Hurts became a runner-up in Heisman voting and a second-round draft pick. His latest prodigy, Spencer Rattler, has taken the college football world by storm after a stellar redshirt freshman campaign. His arm-talent and improvisation skills have poised him for stardom and a frontrunner in the Heisman race. Riley puts players in a position to succeed on the field and his lofty expectations for his squads brings out the best in them. He elevates the team and the young mastermind is only getting started. Under his leadership, OU is primed for a college football playoff berth and the coveted championship.