Mike Riley
Mike Riley went 112–99 as a head coach, 1997–2017, at Oregon State and Nebraska. Share
- Record
- 112–99 career
- Seasons
- 17
- Schools
- 2
- Final AP top 10
- 0 seasons
- Born
- Jul 6, 1953
- Alma mater
- Alabama 1975
- Best season
- 2008 9–4, No. 18
Season by season
| Season | School | Record | Conference finish | Bowl | AP final | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Oregon State | 3–8 | 10th | |||
| 1998 | Oregon State | 5–6 | T–8th | |||
| 1999–02: not a college head coach | ||||||
| 2003 | Oregon State | 8–5 | T–4th | Las Vegas Bowl W | ||
| 2004 | Oregon State | 7–5 | T–3rd | Insight Bowl W | ||
| 2005 | Oregon State | 5–6 | 7th | |||
| 2006 | Oregon State | 10–4 | 3rd | Sun Bowl W | 21 | |
| 2007 | Oregon State | 9–4 | 3rd | Emerald Bowl W | 25 | |
| 2008 | Oregon State | 9–4 | T–2nd | Sun Bowl W | 18 | |
| 2009 | Oregon State | 8–5 | T–2nd | Las Vegas Bowl L | ||
| 2010 | Oregon State | 5–7 | T–5th | |||
| 2011 | Oregon State | 3–9 | 5th (North) | |||
| 2012 | Oregon State | 9–4 | 3rd (North) | Alamo Bowl L | 20 | |
| 2013 | Oregon State | 7–6 | T–4th (North) | Hawai’i Bowl W | ||
| 2014 | Oregon State | 5–7 | T–5th (North) | |||
| 2015 | Nebraska | 6–7 | 4th (West) | Foster Farms Bowl W | ||
| 2016 | Nebraska | 9–4 | T–2nd (West) | Music City Bowl L | ||
| 2017 | Nebraska | 4–8 | 5th (West) | |||
Each season links to the team’s season page; bowls and playoff games link to the game. Conference finishes from the Wikipedia article’s record table.
Players he coached
Mike Hass2005 Biletnikoff Award- Alexis Serna2005 Lou Groza Award
Every player from his seasons with a Heisman top-five finish, a national award, consensus All-America honors or a first-round pick. Photos: Wikimedia Commons, free licenses; credits on each player’s page.
How his teams did
| Kind of game | Games | Record | Won |
|---|---|---|---|
| Against ranked teams | 63 | 16–47 | 25% |
| Against top-10 teams | 30 | 6–24 | 20% |
| Against rivals | 24 | 6–18 | 25% |
| Conference games | 147 | 70–77 | 48% |
| Bowls and playoffs | 10 | 7–3 | 70% |
| Decided by 8 points or fewer | 82 | 43–39 | 52% |
| At home | 109 | 66–43 | 61% |
| On the road | 91 | 39–52 | 43% |
| At neutral sites | 11 | 7–4 | 64% |
| As our Elo’s favorite | 110 | 81–29 | 74% |
| As our Elo’s underdog | 101 | 31–70 | 31% |
His own 211 games on file, 1997–2017, as played (vacated wins counted, ties as half a win). Ranks are the AP poll going into the game; rivals are the ones either program’s Wikipedia article names; favorite and underdog by our own Elo rating, which reads only scores.
Against other head coaches
| Coach | Record | Their schools | Games | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jeff Tedford 2003–2012 | 7–3 | California | 10 | |
| Mike Stoops 2004–2011 | 6–2 | Arizona | 8 | |
| Mike Bellotti 1997–2008 | 4–4 | Oregon | 8 | |
| Tyrone Willingham 1997–2008 | 5–1 | Stanford, Washington | 6 | |
| Dennis Erickson 2006–2011 | 4–2 | Idaho, Arizona State | 6 | |
| Kyle Whittingham 2007–2014 | 3–3 | Utah | 6 | |
| Pete Carroll 2003–2009 | 2–4 | USC | 6 | |
| Steve Sarkisian 2009–2014 | 2–4 | Washington, USC | 6 | |
| Bill Doba 2003–2007 | 3–2 | Washington State | 5 | |
| Rocky Long 2003–2014 | 4–0 | New Mexico, San Diego State | 4 |
Mike Riley’s record against the head coaches he met three or more times, from the games on file, as played.
Most-faced opponents
| Opponent | Games | Record |
|---|---|---|
| Oregonseries | 16 | 5–11 |
| Californiaseries | 14 | 8–6 |
| Arizona Stateseries | 14 | 7–7 |
| Washingtonseries | 14 | 7–7 |
| Stanfordseries | 14 | 6–8 |
| Arizonaseries | 12 | 8–4 |
| Washington Stateseries | 12 | 8–4 |
| UCLAseries | 11 | 4–7 |
Also a player: Mike Riley’s playing career.
Career
| Years | Team | Job | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | California | Graduate assistant | |
| 1976 | Whitworth | Graduate assistant | |
| 1977–82 | Linfield | Defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach | |
| 1983–85 | Winnipeg Blue Bombers CFL | Defensive backs coach | |
| 1986 | Northern Colorado | Defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach | |
| 1987–90 | Winnipeg Blue Bombers CFL | Head coach | |
| 1991–92 | San Antonio Riders NFL Europe | Head coach | |
| 1993–96 | USC | Assistant head coach, offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach | |
| 1997–98 | Oregon State | Head coach | |
| 1999–2001 | San Diego Chargers NFL | Head coach | |
| 2002 | New Orleans Saints NFL | Assistant head coach and defensive backs coach | |
| 2003–14 | Oregon State | Head coach | |
| 2015–17 | Nebraska | Head coach | |
| 2018 | Oregon State | Consultant | |
| 2019 | San Antonio Commanders AAF | Head coach | |
| 2020 | Seattle Dragons XFL | Offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach | |
| 2022–23 | New Jersey Generals USFL | Head coach |
Every job as the infobox of his Wikipedia article lists it (CC BY-SA), assistant jobs included.
Coaching tree
Worked under
- Mike WhiteCalifornia
- John RobinsonUSC
- Jonathan SmithOregon State
- Jim ZornSeattle Dragons
Assistants who became head coaches
- Bob PadillaFresno State
- Bob BakerCalgary Stampeders, Pace
- Don LawrenceVirginia
- Jim GilstrapOttawa Rough Riders
- Paul ChrystPittsburgh, Wisconsin
- Tommy LeeWillamette, Montana Western
- Jeff McInerneyCentral Connecticut
- Joe PascaleIdaho State, San Diego Chargers
- Mike Sanford Sr.UNLV, Indiana State
- Wayne NunnelyUNLV
- Norv TurnerWashington Redskins, Oakland Raiders, San Diego Chargers
- Jonathan SmithOregon State, Michigan State
- and 12 more
Worked under (4)
| Head coach | Team | Years | His job | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mike White | California | 1975 | Graduate assistant | |
| John Robinson | USC | 1993–96 | Assistant head coach, offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach | |
| Jonathan Smith | Oregon State | 2018 | Consultant | |
| Jim Zorn | Seattle Dragons pro | 2020 | Offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach |
Coached under him, later head coaches (24)
| Coach | With him | Head coach at | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bob Padilla | Winnipeg Blue Bombers, 1987–90: defensive line coach | Fresno State | |
| Bob Baker | Winnipeg Blue Bombers, 1989: quarterbacks coach and receivers coach | Calgary Stampeders, Pace | |
| Don Lawrence | Winnipeg Blue Bombers, 1989: offensive line coach | Virginia | |
| Jim Gilstrap | Winnipeg Blue Bombers, 1990: offensive line coach; San Antonio Riders, 1991–92: offensive line coach; Oregon State, 1997–98: assistant head coach and offensive line coach; 2003–04: offensive line coach; 2005: running backs coach | Ottawa Rough Riders | |
| Paul Chryst | San Antonio Riders, 1991: wide receivers and tight ends coach; 1992: running backs and tight ends coach; Oregon State, 1997–98, 2003–04: offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach; San Diego Chargers, 1999–2001: tight ends coach | Pittsburgh, Wisconsin | |
| Tommy Lee | San Antonio Riders, 1991: offensive coordinator and quarterbacks and wide receivers coach; 1992: wide receivers coach | Willamette, Montana Western | |
| Jeff McInerney | Oregon State, 1998: defensive ends coach; San Antonio Commanders, 2019: defensive line and special teams coach; New Jersey Generals, 2022–23: defensive quality control coach and special teams coach | Central Connecticut | |
| Joe Pascale | San Diego Chargers, 1999–2001: defensive coordinator | Idaho State, San Diego Chargers | |
| Mike Sanford Sr. | San Diego Chargers, 1999–2001: wide receivers coach | UNLV, Indiana State | |
| Wayne Nunnely | San Diego Chargers, 1999–2001: defensive line coach | UNLV | |
| Norv Turner | San Diego Chargers, 2001: offensive coordinator | Washington Redskins, Oakland Raiders, San Diego Chargers | |
| Jonathan Smith | Oregon State, 2003: graduate assistant | Oregon State, Michigan State | |
| Lee Hull | Oregon State, 2003–07: wide receivers coach | Morgan State, Delaware State | |
| Nigel Burton | Oregon State, 2003–07: defensive backs coach | Portland State | |
| Robin Ross | Oregon State, 2005: linebackers coach; 2009–10: tight ends coach | Western Washington | |
| Brian Smith | Oregon State, 2006: graduate assistant | Ohio | |
| Brent Brennan | Oregon State, 2011–14: wide receivers and outside receivers coach | San José State, Arizona | |
| Trent Bray | Oregon State, 2012–14: graduate assistant and linebackers coach; Nebraska, 2015–17: linebackers coach | Oregon State | |
| John Garrett | Oregon State, 2014: offensive coordinator | Lafayette | |
| Bob Diaco | Nebraska, 2017: defensive coordinator; New Jersey Generals, 2022–23: defensive line coach | UConn | |
| Donte Williams | Nebraska, 2017: cornerbacks coach | USC | |
| Gary Darnell | Nebraska, 2017: defensive consultant | Florida, Western Michigan, Texas A&M, Tennessee Tech | |
| Jim Grobe | San Antonio Commanders, 2019: defensive coordinator | Ohio, Wake Forest, Baylor | |
| Steven Smith | New Jersey Generals, 2022–23: offensive coordinator and offensive line coach | Lincoln (MO) |
Other assistants under him (8)
| Coach | With him | |
|---|---|---|
| Bill Bradley | San Antonio Riders, 1991–92: defensive backs coach; San Antonio Commanders, 2019: defensive backs coach | |
| Danny Langsdorf | Oregon State, 1997–98: tight ends coach; 2005–13: offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach; Nebraska, 2015–17: offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach | |
| Greg Newhouse | Oregon State, 1997–98: defensive coordinator | |
| Mark Banker | Oregon State, 1997–98: defensive backs coach and recruiting coordinator; San Diego Chargers, 1999–2001: defensive coordinator and cornerbacks coach; Oregon State, 2003–11: defensive coordinator and running backs and linebackers coach; 2012–14: defensive coordinator; Nebraska, 2015: defensive coordinator; 2016: defensive coordinator and safeties coach | |
| Mike Johnson | Oregon State, 1997–98: wide receivers coach; San Diego Chargers, 2000–01: quarterbacks coach | |
| Keith Heyward | Oregon State, 2005–06: graduate assistant; 2008–11: defensive backs coach | |
| Ryan Gunderson | Oregon State, 2008–09: graduate assistant | |
| Brian Stewart | Nebraska, 2015–16: defensive backs coach |
From coaches’ Wikipedia infoboxes (CC BY-SA) and each season’s article for its coordinators: an assistant’s seasons at a school count under its head coach in our records; jobs in the NFL and elsewhere, under the head coach whose own article lists the job that year. Names without a page here link to their Wikipedia articles.
Pay
| Year | School | Job | Contract pay | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Nebraska | head coachbonuses up to $950,000; $150,000 in bonuses paid; buyout $6,630,000 | $2,900,000 USA Today | |
| 2016 | Nebraska | head coachbonuses up to $950,000 | $2,800,000 USA Today | |
| 2015 | Nebraska | head coachbonuses up to $950,000 | $2,700,000 USA Today | |
| 2014 | Oregon State | head coachbonuses up to $369,000 | $1,510,008 USA Today | |
| 2013 | Oregon State | head coachbonuses up to $360,000 | $1,417,843 USA Today via Leeds | |
| 2012 | Oregon State | head coachbonuses up to $360,000 | $1,317,847 USA Today via Leeds | |
| 2011 | Oregon State | head coachbonuses up to $360,000 | $1,313,471 USA Today via Leeds | |
| 2010 | Oregon State | head coachbonuses up to $360,000 | $1,110,000 USA Today via Leeds | |
| 2009 | Oregon State | head coachbonuses up to $360,000 | $950,000 USA Today via Leeds | |
| 2008 | Oregon State | head coach | $1,100,000 USA Today via Leeds | |
| 2007 | Oregon State | head coachbonuses up to $395 | $885,000 USA Today via Leeds | |
| 2006 | Oregon State | head coachbonuses up to $295,000 | $835,000 USA Today via Leeds |
USA Today’s coaches salary database (2014–17, from public-records requests to the schools; Rachel Ehlers’ copy): the season’s contract pay, school pay plus outside money, before bonuses.
The same USA Today database for 2006–16, from Michael Leeds’ replication data on Harvard Dataverse (CC0): the season’s contract pay.
Pay of public employees in their public job only: head coaches, and assistants in the seasons our records name them a coordinator, at public universities.
How he coached
Riley’s teams went for it on 19% of fourth downs and on 32% of those where the model said go for it, passed on 55% of plays and took 25.3 seconds a play, 2004–2017.
| Season | School | Went for it on fourth | When the model said go | Pass rate | Seconds a play | EPA a play | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 12 g | Oregon State | 19 of 114 17% | 38% | 60% | 20.4 | −0.15 | |
| 2005 8 g | Oregon State | 14 of 83 17% | 25% | 56% | 24.3 | −0.12 | |
| 2006 12 g | Oregon State | 17 of 94 18% | 33% | 50% | 27.8 | −0.10 | |
| 2007 11 g | Oregon State | 13 of 112 12% | 21% | 46% | 25.0 | −0.23 | |
| 2008 13 g | Oregon State | 15 of 100 15% | 19% | 50% | 26.0 | −0.01 | |
| 2009 13 g | Oregon State | 17 of 94 18% | 26% | 55% | 27.6 | +0.07 | |
| 2010 12 g | Oregon State | 15 of 85 18% | 30% | 54% | 24.3 | −0.02 | |
| 2011 12 g | Oregon State | 17 of 81 21% | 37% | 65% | 23.0 | −0.07 | |
| 2012 13 g | Oregon State | 25 of 102 25% | 48% | 57% | 26.1 | +0.02 | |
| 2013 13 g | Oregon State | 26 of 101 26% | 42% | 65% | 23.9 | +0.10 | |
| 2014 12 g | Oregon State | 19 of 108 18% | 34% | 60% | 26.4 | −0.03 | |
| 2015 13 g | Nebraska | 8 of 93 9% | 14% | 50% | 25.7 | +0.08 | |
| 2016 13 g | Nebraska | 22 of 104 21% | 39% | 45% | 26.8 | +0.02 | |
| 2017 12 g | Nebraska | 27 of 99 27% | 43% | 59% | 26.1 | +0.02 | |
| All 169 g | 254 of 1370 19% | 32% | 55% | 25.3 | −0.02 |
His seasons as a head coach from 2004 on, from ESPN’s play by play: fourth downs where he went for it out of every fourth-down decision; how often he went when SportsDataverse’s fourth-down model said going for it was the better call; the share of his offense’s plays that were passes; seconds of game clock per offensive play (lower is faster); and expected points added per offensive play (EPA, a measure of how much each play moved the offense toward points). The season in progress counts its games so far. SportsDataverse’s coach tendencies, from ESPN’s play by play; the EPA and the fourth-down model are SportsDataverse’s.