Lincoln Riley addresses LSU Football coaching search rumors

Oklahoma Sooners head coach Lincoln Riley is the flavor of the week in the LSU football coaching search.

He follows names like Mike Tomlin from the Pittsburgh Steelers, Lane Kiffin at Ole Miss, Jimbo Fisher at Texas A&M, Mel Tucker at Michigan State, and James Franklin at Penn State (we were never buying Franklin as a serious option) as coaches who have been strongly linked to LSU’s head coach opening.

On Tuesday, Riley addressed the rumors.

He didn’t necessarily say that he wouldn’t be the head coach at LSU, but he indicated that he’s happy at Oklahoma and doesn’t plan on going anywhere.

Should we believe Lincoln Riley’s comments about the LSU football job?

College football coaching searches are crazy, so I usually don’t put much stock into a coach’s “non-denial of interest” in a job.

But for some reason, I believe Riley.

I’ve never really thought he was going to be a serious candidate at LSU — especially with Oklahoma moving to the SEC in the next few years.

Riley’s rebuffed overtures from NFL teams in recent years. And most folks believe a job in the NFL is the only way Riley would leave Oklahoma.

I think Riley enjoys Norman. He’s a Texas native who played at Texas Tech, so it’s an area where he’s more comfortable. And he clearly has the program in a good place.

It’s easier to recruit to LSU and win a national championship. But there are more than those factors that go into a decision like this for a head coach.

Riley has a great quality of life in Norman and job security. He just watched a coach who won a national championship at LSU in 2019 get fired. I think deep down he knows that could be him in a few years if he left the Sooners for the Tigers.

You never say never, but I’d be surprised if Riley was the next head coach at LSU.