From LA times lead story on Riley/USC
Conversations with representation for Riley and other candidates carried on throughout the season, according to multiple sources with knowledge of the discussions who were not authorized to speak on the record. Bohn and Sosna had once before considered Riley, then-Oklahoma’s offensive coordinator, when conducting their last coaching search at Cincinnati, but ultimately landed on Luke Fickell, whose name was also regularly connected to USC’s search.
It wasn’t until Saturday night, however, after Oklahoma’s season ended with a loss to rival Oklahoma State, that leaders at USC made their late-night pitch directly to Riley. They sold him on the investments they’d made in the Trojans football program, the top-tier talent he could pluck from across Southern California, and the promise of leading a program in a major media market, at the epicenter of sports.
www.latimes.com
Conversations with representation for Riley and other candidates carried on throughout the season, according to multiple sources with knowledge of the discussions who were not authorized to speak on the record. Bohn and Sosna had once before considered Riley, then-Oklahoma’s offensive coordinator, when conducting their last coaching search at Cincinnati, but ultimately landed on Luke Fickell, whose name was also regularly connected to USC’s search.
It wasn’t until Saturday night, however, after Oklahoma’s season ended with a loss to rival Oklahoma State, that leaders at USC made their late-night pitch directly to Riley. They sold him on the investments they’d made in the Trojans football program, the top-tier talent he could pluck from across Southern California, and the promise of leading a program in a major media market, at the epicenter of sports.
The 12 hours that transformed USC football: How the Lincoln Riley deal went down
Patience and a well-timed recruiting pitch helped USC lure Lincoln Riley away from Oklahoma, sending shockwaves through the college football world.
www.latimes.com
