Oklahoma Sooners head coach Lincoln Riley emphatically threw cold water on rumors linking him to LSU. Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Report: LSU offered Lincoln Riley an eight-year, $96M deal

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports
By Steve DelVecchio | Last updated 11/17/21

LSU is expected to pursue several big names for its head-coaching vacancy, and one report claims the Tigers have already made a mammoth offer to one of the top coaches in the nation.

Jake Crain, a former college football coach who used to work for Rivals.com, said on his “The JBoy Show” Wednesday that LSU is willing to pay Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley a whopping $96 million over eight years. Crain also said he was told that it is “not likely” that Oklahoma would match the offer.

Sources tell @thejboyshow that LSU has offered Oklahoma HC Lincoln Riley an 8-year, $96 million contract

Does that mean Caleb Williams could be heading to Baton Rouge? https://t.co/2j9FZYbwu1 pic.twitter.com/nQhqS4GjVL

— The Volume (@TheVolumeSports) November 17, 2021

If that offer does exist, Riley could make himself the highest-paid coach in college football by accepting it. That honor currently belongs to Nick Saban, who will be paid around $10 million by Alabama in 2021. Riley makes around $8 million at Oklahoma.

The Riley-to-LSU rumors have been popping up in different places. Riley was asked about them this week, and he emphatically threw cold water on them.

Lincoln Riley on the LSU rumors: “I coach at the University of Oklahoma. You know how I feel about this place and this program. We’ve all been down this road many times before. You guys know where I stand and that hasn’t changed."

— Jason Kersey (@jasonkersey) November 16, 2021

Crain has coached at programs like South Alabama and a few different community colleges. It’s fair to question his sources, but these types of rumors and reports come up every year. Even if they don’t turn out to be true, coaches often use them as leverage to get bigger contracts from their current employer. Riley could certainly do that with Oklahoma, but he did get a new deal from the Sooners just last year.

If Riley does leave Oklahoma, it will probably be for the NFL. We’ve heard him linked to some huge NFL jobs in the past, and many believe the 38-year-old can be the next Sean McVay.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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