- Mike Riley
-
For other people named Mike Riley, see Mike Riley (disambiguation).
Mike Riley 
Riley in 2006 Sport(s) Football Current position Title Head coach Team Oregon State Conference Pac-12 Record 71–62 Biographical details Born July 6, 1953 Place of birth Wallace, Idaho Playing career 1971–1974 Alabama Position(s) Cornerback Coaching career (HC unless noted) 1975
1976
1977–1982
1983–1985
1986
1987–1990
1991–1992
1993–1996
1997–1998
1999–2001
2002
2003–presentCalifornia (GA)
Whitworth (GA)
Linfield (DC)
Winnipeg Blue Bombers (assistant)
Northern Colorado (assistant)
Winnipeg Blue Bombers
San Antonio Riders
USC (OC/QB)
Oregon State
San Diego Chargers
New Orleans Saints (assistant)
Oregon StateHead coaching record Overall 71–62 (college)
14–34 (NFL)Bowls 5–1 Statistics College Football Data Warehouse Accomplishments and honors Awards Pac-10 Coach of the Year (2008) Michael Joseph "Mike" Riley (born July 6, 1953) is an American football coach, currently the head coach of the Oregon State Beavers of the Pacific-12 Conference. Riley has also coached in several professional leagues, and is a former head coach of the San Diego Chargers of the NFL and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the CFL.
Contents
Early life and playing career
The son of a high school football coach, Riley was born in Wallace, Idaho, and spent his first dozen years in northern Idaho. The family moved from Wallace down to Lewiston in 1959 and up to Moscow in 1962, when his father, Bud Riley, became a collegiate assistant coach for his alma mater, the Idaho Vandals, under new head coach Dee Andros. After three seasons on the Palouse, Andros was hired at Oregon State and Bud Riley joined him in Corvallis in 1965 as his defensive coordinator for eight seasons.[1]
Riley was a hometown hero in Corvallis from his athletic days at Corvallis High, where led the Spartans as the starting quarterback to consecutive state title games in 1969 and 1970. CHS came up short against Medford in 1969, 27–0, but avenged the loss the following season when they met Medford again and came out victorious 21–10.[2] As the son of a coach, Riley had a peripatetic youth; he considers the college town of Corvallis his hometown, where he went to junior high and high school.
Riley graduated from CHS in 1971 and played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide under legendary head coach Paul "Bear" Bryant. In his four seasons at Alabama as a defensive back, he helped the Tide to four SEC titles and the 1973 UPI (Coaches' Poll) national championship, though the Tide went winless in all four bowl games.
Coaching career
Riley began his coaching career immediately after his playing days ended, first as a graduate assistant at California in 1975, and then as a graduate assistant at Whitworth in Spokane, where he received his master's in physical education.
In 1977, he was hired as the defensive coordinator and secondary coach at Linfield College in McMinnville, Oregon. During his stay at Linfield he assisted head coach Ad Rutschman’s Wildcats to a six-year record of 52–7–1, which included five conference titles and an undefeated NAIA Division II championship season in 1982.
Riley was the head coach of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the CFL from 1987–1990 and won two Grey Cups during his tenure. He also coached the San Antonio Riders of the defunct WLAF. He was hired to coach the San Antonio Texans of the CFL in 1993, but the team folded before it could begin play.
He returned to the college ranks in 1993 when USC head coach John Robinson offered him the position of offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach; he later became assistant head coach. The Mesa Tribune named him the league’s top assistant coach in 1993 after leading the Trojan offense to record setting numbers.[citation needed] USC quarterback Rob Johnson earned numerous Pac-10 and NCAA records under Riley's tutelage and would later become a fourth-round NFL Draft pick. "He's a player's coach, who gets the most out of you by treating you like normal," Johnson later said.[citation needed]
Riley remained at USC through the 1996 season, helping the Trojans to victories in the Rose, Cotton, and Freedom Bowls. USC won an outright league title, shared another, and finished second once.
Oregon State
Riley was hired as the head coach at Oregon State in 1997 to replace Jerry Pettibone. In the Beavers' first season under Riley, they posted a record of 3–8. This was a difficult season for Riley as he attempted to run his NFL-style offense with players recruited by Pettibone to run the wishbone triple-option.[citation needed] The 1998 season was another big step in the right direction, with the Beavers posting a 5–6 record, their best record since 1971. The 1998 season was capped off by a double-overtime 44–41 win over the Oregon Ducks in the Civil War game.
Although his first stint with the Beavers only lasted two seasons, Riley is considered, by FSN commentators, to have laid the foundation for the success of the Beavers in the years to come.[3] The 1999 team, led by Dennis Erickson, posted a 7–5 record and earned a trip to the Oahu Bowl, ending a record[citation needed] 28 season streak of sub .500 seasons.
San Diego Chargers
In 1999, Riley left the Beavers to become the head coach of the San Diego Chargers of the NFL. Riley coached the Chargers from 1999 to 2001, with a record of 14–34. His last game was indicative of his last season, as the Chargers played well, but one poor play turned the tide. The 2001 Chargers ended their season with a loss to the Seattle Seahawks, after Doug Flutie passed for 377 yards and drove for the tying field goal with 16 seconds remaining, but poor special teams play led to a long Seahawks kick return and subsequently a 54-yard winning field goal.
Riley was fired as head coach of the Chargers after three seasons and was an assistant coach with the New Orleans Saints in 2002. He was offered the Alabama job in December 2002 after Dennis Franchione left for Texas A&M.[4] Riley was also under consideration for the UCLA job during that period.[5] After spending one season with the Saints, Riley returned to Corvallis to become the head coach at Oregon State in 2003 following Erickson's departure to San Francisco of the NFL.
Return to Oregon State
Continuing on their new success, the Beavers won bowl games in 2003 and 2004 before having a down year in 2005.
After starting the 2006 season 2–3, the Beavers went 9–4 on the regular season, including an upset of #3 USC in Corvallis. The Beavers completed their impressive season with a win over Missouri in the Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas, ending their season with a 10–4 record.
In 2007, the Beavers again started 2–3 and finished 8–4 on the regular season, including an upset of #2 Cal in Berkeley. The Beavers finished the year 9–4 with a win in the Emerald Bowl in San Francisco over the Maryland Terrapins.
In 2008 Riley's Beavers knocked off #1-ranked USC 27–21 at Reser Stadium. The Beavers went into the Civil War with a chance to reach the Rose Bowl as Pac-10 champions but were defeated by Oregon, 65–38, and instead accepted another invitation to the third place Sun Bowl, where they beat Pittsburgh in a defensive struggle, 3–0.
Though winless in bowl games as a player, Riley has a 5–1 NCAA football bowl record as a head coach, having won the 2003 Las Vegas Bowl, 2004 Insight Bowl, 2006 Sun Bowl, 2007 Emerald Bowl, and 2008 Sun Bowl. Riley is a combined 8–1 in bowl games as a head or assistant coach. In the 2009 Las Vegas Bowl, the Beavers lost to the BYU Cougars of the Mountain West Conference.
In Riley's second stint at OSU, the Beavers have produced three current NFL quarterbacks, Sean Canfield, Matt Moore, and Derek Anderson.
Following the 2009 season, Riley was rumored to be up for the USC vacancy created by the resignation of Pete Carroll. Those rumors were put to rest when Riley signed a three-year extension at OSU through the 2019 season.
Head coaching record
College
Year Team Overall Conference Standing Bowl/playoffs Coaches# AP° Oregon State Beavers (Pacific-10 Conference) (1997–1998) 1997 Oregon State 3–8 0–8 10th 1998 Oregon State 5–6 2–6 T–8th Oregon State Beavers (Pacific-10 Conference) (2003–present) 2003 Oregon State 8–5 4–4 T–5th W Las Vegas 2004 Oregon State 7–5 5–3 T–3rd W Insight 2005 Oregon State 5–6 3–5 7th 2006 Oregon State 10–4 6–3 3rd W Sun 22 21 2007 Oregon State 9–4 6–3 3rd W Emerald 25 2008 Oregon State 9–4 7–2 T–2nd W Sun 19 18 2009 Oregon State 8–5 6–3 T–2nd L Las Vegas 2010 Oregon State 5–7 4–5 T–5th 2011 Oregon State 2–8 2–5 (North) Oregon State: 71–62 45–46 Total: 71–62 National Championship Conference Title Conference Division Title #Rankings from final Coaches' Poll.
°Rankings from final AP Poll.References
- ^ "Down-home hero comes home again". The Register-Guard. 2003-02-23. http://www.articlearchives.com/sports-recreation/sports-games-outdoor-recreation/121240-1.html. Retrieved 2008-12-01.
- ^ "Corvallis High Football History". corvallishighfootball.com. http://corvallishighfootball.com/history.html. Retrieved 2007-12-20.
- ^ Mentioned in FSN's coverage of UW vs. OSU game on October 7th, 2000.
- ^ Hurt, Cecil (December 14, 2002). "The No Riley Factor: UA search begins anew". The Tuscaloosa News. http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/article/20021214/NEWS/212140328. Retrieved November 29, 2010.
- ^ Witz, Billy (December 10, 2002). "UCLA expected to meet with Riley Tuesday". The Tuscaloosa News. New York Times News Service. http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/article/20021210/NEWS/212100008. Retrieved November 29, 2010.
External links
Oregon State Beavers head football coaches Bill Bloss (1893) • Guy Kennedy (1894) • Paul Downing (1895) • Tommy Code (1896) • Bill Bloss (1897–1898) • Highland Stickney (1899) • No team (1900) • No coach (1901) • Frank Herbold (1902) • Thomas L. McFadden (1903) • Allen Steckle (1904–1905) • Fred Norcross (1906–1908) • Sol Metzger (1909) • George Schildmiller (1910) • Sam Dolan (1911–1912) • E. J. Stewart (1913–1915) • Joseph Pipal (1916–1917) • Homer Woodson Hargiss (1918–1919) • R. B. Rutherford (1920–1923) • Paul J. Schissler (1924–1932) • Lon Stiner (1933–1942) • No team (1943–1944) • Lon Stiner (1945–1948) • Kip Taylor (1949–1954) • Tommy Prothro (1955–1964) • Dee Andros (1965–1975) • Craig Fertig (1976–1979) • Joe Avezzano (1980–1984) • Dave Kragthorpe (1985–1990) • Jerry Pettibone (1991–1996) • Mike Riley (1997–1998) • Dennis Erickson (1999–2002) • Mike Riley (2003– )
Los Angeles / San Diego Chargers head coaches Sid Gillman (1960–1969) • Charlie Waller (1969–1970) • Sid Gillman (1971) • Harland Svare (1971–1973) • Ron Waller (1973) • Tommy Prothro (1974–1978) • Don Coryell (1978–1986) • Al Saunders (1986–1988) • Dan Henning (1989–1991) • Bobby Ross (1992–1996) • Kevin Gilbride (1997–1998) • June Jones # (1998) • Mike Riley (1999–2001) • Marty Schottenheimer (2002–2006) • Norv Turner (2007– )
Pound sign (#) denotes interim head coach.Current head football coaches of the Pacific-12 Conference North Division Jeff Tedford (California) • Chip Kelly (Oregon) • Mike Riley (Oregon State) • David Shaw (Stanford) • Steve Sarkisian (Washington) • Paul Wulff (Washington State)
South Division Tim Kish (Arizona) • Dennis Erickson (Arizona State) • Jon Embree (Colorado) • Rick Neuheisel (UCLA) • Lane Kiffin (USC) • Kyle Whittingham (Utah)
Mike Riley – championships, awards and honors Awards Preceded by
John Gregory
Jackie ParkerGrey Cup winning Head Coach
78th Grey Cup, 1990
76th Grey Cup, 1988Succeeded by
Adam Rita
John GregoryAlabama Crimson Tide Football 1973 UPI National Champions Sylvester Croom | Mike DuBose | Wilbur Jackson | Woodrow Lowe | Wayne Rhodes | Mike Riley | Mike Washington
Head Coach Bear Bryant
Coaches Ken Donahue | Pat Dye | Danny Ford | Curley Hallman | John Mitchell | Mal Moore | Bill Oliver | Jimmy SharpeCategories:- Winnipeg Blue Bombers coaches
- 1953 births
- Living people
- People from Wallace, Idaho
- American football cornerbacks
- American football quarterbacks
- Alabama Crimson Tide football players
- Linfield Wildcats football coaches
- National Football League head coaches
- Northern Colorado Bears football coaches
- Oregon State Beavers football coaches
- San Diego Chargers head coaches
- USC Trojans football coaches
- Whitworth Pirates football coaches
- World League of American Football coaches
- Grey Cup champions
- People from Corvallis, Oregon
- Players of American football from Oregon
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