I’ve been asked a couple times since Pete Carroll’s jump from USC to the Seahawks seemed imminent, whether Mike Riley would then jump from Oregon State to USC. I just can’t see it. It’s a gut feeling more than anything, but if ever there was an NCAA D-I coach who came across as a homebody, it would be Riley. And he’s home, for the second time in his well-traveled coaching career.
He grew up in Corvallis, led the Spartans to two state championship appearances against Medford, winning the second time in 1970. He then began his football sojourn, playing at Alabama for Bear Bryant before coaching stints, either as an assistant or head coach, in California, Canada, Texas, New Orleans. He was offensive coordinator at USC for a few years and head coach of the San Diego Chargers for three. So he’s done the southern California thing.
He returned to Corvallis to coach OSU, then left, then came back, saying it would be his last stop. At 56, I think it might be. He’s built a family-atmosphere program at OSU and doesn’t appear to lead an extravagant lifestyle, which means, I think he’s making plenty of money for his liking in Corvallis. USC could come along and offer more, and he’d listen because he’s got ties there. But that likely is as far as it goes.
He’s got a nice thing going. In the seven years of his second stint here, he’s 56-33 overall and 37-23 in the Pac-10. The Beavers have been in six bowl games, winning five. A decline doesn’t appear to be in the offing. Meanwhile, USC’s stability is in question given recent probes into the football and basketball programs.
I don’t have inside info, but, again, a gut feeling. I know how easy it is to enjoy living in Corvallis. Like Riley, I’m a Corvallis grad. Came along half-a-decade after him. Unless you consider Facebook, where I’m one of his nearly 2,000 friends, we aren’t really friends. I’ve interviewed him a few times, but that’s it. Still, you don’t have to be that close to Riley to get a reasonable read on him.
My read on him, no matter that he appears to be USC’s top candidate, is that his home is where is heart is, and that would be Corvallis.
