The Cleveland Browns don’t have a head coach right now. Baker Mayfield is the Cleveland Browns’ quarterback. Lincoln Riley coached Mayfield in college.
Those three facts are enough to drive speculation the Browns could pursue Riley to replace the newly-fired Hue Jackson, and Riley was asked about his thoughts on the matter on Monday.
“Knew that was coming, but no. Not right now. To sit here and answer these questions, I always want to be truthful,” Riley said. “The truth is, for me, I love Oklahoma. I love coaching here. I love coaching college football. I certainly don’t have that itch right now.”
Riley didn’t slam the door -- and acknowledged his non-slamming of said proverbial door -- but didn’t sound like a guy itching to coach in Cleveland. Watch for yourself below.
Lincoln Riley’s full comment on coaching in the NFL and #Browns rumors. #Sooners pic.twitter.com/yE2eesL7Gu
— Dylan Buckingham (@DylanBuckingham) October 29, 2018
Cleveland may have Mayfield, but it also has a long and storied history of crushing defeat. Oklahoma owns college football’s highest winning percentage since World War II.
Quarterback aside, to trade one of the cushiest college gigs for one of the NFL’s most difficult would require a special type of striver who’s always dreamed of becoming his generation’s Bill Belichick. Riley is a college football creature; he started as a student assistant under Mike Leach at Texas Tech, was his wide receivers coach at age 23, and has been in the college game ever since.
