Could Lincoln Riley return to the Big 12? That possibility was raised this week by longtime broadcaster Dan Patrick, who discussed the embattled USC head coach’s future and surprisingly connected him to TCU.
During his show, Patrick relayed a conversation he had with someone he described as being “in the know” regarding Riley’s next move if his tenure at USC comes to an end.
“It feels like it’s a foregone conclusion at USC that Lincoln Riley will not be back,” Patrick said. “I spoke to somebody in the know yesterday and I said, ‘Could you see Lincoln Riley going to Baylor?’ And he said, ‘No, absolutely not.’ He goes, ‘TCU. I could see Lincoln Riley going to TCU.'”
Patrick then questioned whether such a move could depend on the future of current Horned Frogs head coach Sonny Dykes.
“And I don’t know what TCU is this year with Sonny Dykes still there at TCU. But if that is open, is there a mutual parting there?” Patrick added.
"It feels like it's a foregone conclusion at USC that Lincoln Riley will not be back." — DP wonders if Riley would prefer coaching somewhere without such a big spotlight. pic.twitter.com/k8kvj7jzuQ
At the moment, there is no indication TCU is preparing to move on from Sonny Dykes. Still, the comments are noteworthy because Riley’s name has increasingly been tied to a return to Texas should things unravel at USC. The former Oklahoma head coach is a Texas native who played at Texas Tech and became one of college football’s premier offensive minds while coaching in the Big 12.
The idea of Riley returning to the conference he once dominated would immediately send shockwaves throughout the league.
Of course, there are a lot of moving pieces before that discussion becomes reality. Riley remains USC’s head coach, and Dykes remains in charge at TCU. But as coaching rumors begin to swirl, Patrick’s comments have added a fascinating Big 12 twist to what could become one of the biggest coaching stories in college football.
Sonny Dykes and the Horned Frogs are 3-4 overall and 1-3 in the Big 12. They lost last weekend to West Virginia and get set to host Kansas on Saturday for a 2:30 p.m. CT kick off. Then they close the season with three ranked teams in four games, traveling to Arizona, hosting Kansas State, hosting Utah and ending the season in Lubbock against Texas Tech.
For now, it’s speculation. But it’s the kind of speculation that will grab the attention of every Big 12 fan.
