Lincoln Riley has been courted by NFL teams, but he’s made a significant statement of his intent to stay with the Oklahoma Sooners.
According to Bruce Feldman of The Athletic, Riley has agreed to a new six-year contract with the school that includes a two-year extension. The new contract was formally approved Thursday by the university’s Board of Regents.
The new deal makes Riley the highest-paid coach in the Big 12 and one of the top six highest-paid coaches in all of college football. The deal is also likely to include an expanded salary pool for assistant coaches.
Riley has already agreed to a pay reduction for the 2020 season, so the new contract will not apply until 2021.
The 36-year-old has received attention in NFL circles, but this would seem to indicate that he remains quite comfortable remaining at the college level. In three seasons since taking over the Sooners’ program, he’s gone 36-6 with three College Football Playoff appearances, and has coached two Heisman Trophy winners.
