Oklahoma fans are taking Lincoln Riley’s departure about as well as you’d expect.
Riley is leaving the Sooners to go to USC after five years in charge of the Big 12 program. Riley, 38, led the Sooners to a 55-10 record under his watch. They also made three College Football Playoff appearances but failed to win a game.
Indeed, Riley was successful at Oklahoma, and that’s part of why Sooners fans are grieving his departure. The team’s fan base will move through the five stages of grief, but early on in this process they seem to be in Stage 2: Anger.
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Oklahoma supporters are livid about Riley’s departure and they have been vocal about it. Some have even prominently — but anonymously — called him a traitor.
That’s far from the only sign Sooners fans are using to get Riley’s attention. There was another “traitor” sign posted on the “seed sower” statue outside the school’s football stadium.
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These displays will help Oklahoma fans cope with their loss, but Riley and Co. probably won’t see them. He and the staff joining him at USC — which includes defensive coordinator Alex Grinch — left Oklahoma early Monday to catch a flight to Los Angeles.
BREAKING: Lincoln Riley joined by defensive coordinator Alex Grinch, WRs coach Dennis Simmons, director of ops Clarke Stroud & strength coach Bennie Wylie arrived a private hanger at Will Rogers airport to depart for Los Angeles this morning. pic.twitter.com/KsGKjoo6Bz
— SoonerScoop.com (@SoonerScoop) November 29, 2021
That said, Sooners fans are trying to get their message through to Riley using social media. He has been called a coward for leaving Oklahoma ahead of its move to the SEC and has even been compared to — and judged to be worse than — Satan.
Lincoln Riley really pulled a KD.
Beloved Oklahoma sports figures that left a powerhouse Oklahoma team for a California team on a holiday weekend.
— Brandon Rahbar (@BrandonRahbar) November 28, 2021
Lincoln Riley just set the University of Oklahoma Football program back 10 years.
— Sooner Recruiting (@OU_RecruitingHQ) November 28, 2021
Lincoln Riley just became Oklahoma enemy # 1. Congrats, Kevin Durant, you finally have been demoted.
— Boomer Stan (@SoonerHokage) November 28, 2021
As an Oklahoma fan, you have to wonder how much game-planning time the last few weeks Lincoln Riley spent researching USC, getting to know the people in power (who already seem to know him & his family very well) and negotiating his mega deal. It makes you sick. And angry.
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) November 29, 2021
GOOD MORNING TO EVERYONE BUT THAT TRAITOR LINCOLN RILEY ????
— Jessica Dark (@jessicaldark) November 29, 2021
How many times was it said this team was “unprepared”, “unfocused”, etc. Hard to be prepared when your HBC head is in Orange County. Congrats @KDTrey5 you are now forgiven by the State of Oklahoma who hereof officially deems @LincolnRiley the state’s biggest traitor. https://t.co/eXdONOgh4l
— Padre (@J_Matthews_5) November 29, 2021
Oklahoma fans Lincoln Riley isn’t a traitor for going to USC. He’s a coward he is scared of the SEC and is running to the second weakest Power 5 conference only ahead of the Big 12.
— Natty Buschmann (@Buschman2k) November 29, 2021
Five years ago, it didn’t seem like anyone could top Kevin Durant for the title of Oklahoma’s biggest villain. Riley may well have done that with his decision to join the Trojans.
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Soon enough, we’ll see whether Riley can rebuild the once-proud USC program. Regardless of what he does, Sooners fans will be pulling for him to fail at one fo the country’s most high-profile coaching jobs.
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