NORMAN—Mike Leach gave Lincoln Riley his start and Leach is the head coach Riley has spent the most time around.
So when Riley was named the head coach at Oklahoma in June and had to really think about how he would handle things—in reality, not the abstract—as a head coach, it's no surprise that Leach's model was one that Riley looked toward.
One of the first decisions Riley had to make as a head coach was whether or not to remain as the offensive play-caller and to negotiate how to manage keeping that important role with the offense with also becoming involved on the defensive side and with all of the extra administrative things that a head coach must deal with.