Oregon State Football Camps with Mike Riley - Oregon State University

Oregon State Football Camps

Head Coach Mike Riley

What program has the longest active bowl win streak (4) in the Pac-10?

What program has the second-best record (19-8) in the Pac-10 over the last two seasons?

USC and what other Pac-10 program has finished in the Associated Press Top-25 each of the last two seasons?

The answer to all three questions: Oregon State.

The man behind those factoids is eighth-year head coach Mike Riley.

Riley is credited with the rebirth of the Oregon State football program when he was first hired in January of 1997 and has led the program to unparalleled success during his second tenure that began in 2003.

Starting with the 2003 season Oregon State has won all four bowl games it has appeared in, finished with three winning marks in the Pac-10 Conference and overall has won 39 games.

Riley is the first coach in OSU history to win more than one NCAA-sanctioned bowl game at OSU, capturing the 2003 Las Vegas Bowl, the 2004 Insight Bowl, the 2006 Sun Bowl and the 2007 Emerald Bowl titles. He also is the first coach to lead the program to more than one winning conference season (5-3 in '04, 6-3 in '06 and 6-3 in `07) since 1969. The victory in the Emerald Bowl improved Riley's collegiate postseason record as a coach to 7-0; 4-0 as a head coach at Oregon State and 3-0 as the offensive coordinator at USC.

His 2007 team won seven of the final eight games on the way to a 9-4 mark, just one game behind co-Pac-10 champions USC and Arizona State. The team also won at No. 2 California when a Bear victory would have moved them to No. 1 and beat No. 18 Oregon in Eugene. The defensive unit finished first in the nation for rush defense and accumulated the most yards lost via tackles than any other team in the Football Bowl Subdivision. Sixteen Beavers were named to the all-conference team and 11 to the league's all-academic squad. The team ended the year No. 25 in the AP Poll.

The 2006 team became only the second club in OSU history to win at least 10 games - winning eight of the last nine, including impressive victories over No. 3 USC (ending the Trojans' 27-game Pac-10 win streak), No. 24 Hawai'i and Oregon. To cap one of the best seasons in school history, the Beavers won a thrilling game over Missouri (39-38) in arguably the best Sun Bowl ever played. The final summary of the season showed OSU finishing third in the Pac-10, just one game behind co-winners USC and California. Fourteen student-athletes earned all-conference mention and nine earned academic honors. The team ended the year No. 21 in the final AP Poll and No. 22 in the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) Rankings.

In 2004 the team accepted the challenge of playing both the '03 defending national champions, the eventual 2004 national champions and faced one of the most difficult schedules in the nation. The team fought through early setbacks before defeating Oregon in the annual Civil War in record fashion. The victory over the archrivals propelled OSU to a convincing 38-21 victory over Notre Dame in the Insight Bowl. The Beavers closed 2004 winning six of their final seven games and pushing Orange Bowl/National champion USC to the wire.

The hometown boy--he attended Corvallis High School--returned to the Beaver sideline for the second time and led the program to the 2003 Las Vegas Bowl title in convincing fashion. His '03 team set numerous individual and team records, and led the Pac-10 Conference for both offense and defense. He followed up the '03 team's success by signing the program's best ever recruiting class, according to several scouting organizations.

Riley left Oregon State after the 1998 season to pursue a unique opportunity to become the head coach of the National Football League's San Diego Chargers. He spent four years in the NFL, returning to Oregon State after a one-year stint as an assistant with the New Orleans Saints.

Riley was a popular choice when he was originally hired for the position in late December of 1996 and was equally as popular upon his hiring the second time.

The 55-year-old coach calls Corvallis his hometown, although he was born in Wallace, I

daho. He grew up watching Beaver football, as his father Bud was an assistant coach for the program from 1965-72. Mike was a standout quarterback at Corvallis High School, leading the Spartans to the 1970 state title.

Riley, who already had coaching in his blood at a young age, made the decision to continue playing the sport in college at the University of Alabama for legendary coach Paul "Bear" Bryant. He played cornerback from 1971-74, helping the Tide to four Southeastern Conference titles and the 1973 national championship.

Riley immediately launched a successful coaching career following his graduation from Alabama. His first stop was as a defensive graduate assistant coach for Mike White at the University of California in 1975. He helped the Bears to an 8-3 record and a share of the Pacific-8 Conference title.

He continued his education and his coaching in 1976 at Whitworth College in Spokane, Wash. He finished his master's degree in physical education in 1977 while working for the popular Pacific Northwest coach and future Canadian Football League legend Hugh Campbell.

Riley's first full-time appointment came at NAIA powerhouse Linfield College in McMinnville, Ore. From 1977-82 he served as the program's defensive coordinator and secondary coach, as well as assistant athletic director. Riley assisted head coach Ad Rutschman's Wildcats to a six-year record of 52-7-1, which included five conference titles and the 1982 undefeated NAIA title team.

An opportunity to coach in professional football presented itself following the '82 season, and Riley was on his way to the Canadian Football League's Winnipeg Blue Bombers as the secondary coach. During his three-years as an assistant, Winnipeg produced a 32-15-1 mark and won the 1984 Grey Cup title.

Riley returned to the college ranks in 1986 as an assistant coach at the University of Northern Colorado, before being named the youngest coach in CFL history in 1987 with Winnipeg at 33-years of age. Riley guided the Bombers to two Grey Cup titles (1988, '90) and was named the CFL's Coach of the Year in those seasons. He was inducted into the club's Hall of Fame June 13, 2007.

In 1991 Riley took over the San Antonio Riders of the World Football League, spending two seasons before the league suspended its North American operations.

He returned to the college ranks in 1993 when then USC head coach John Robinson offered him the position of offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach - he later became assistant head coach. The Mesa (Ariz.) Tribune named him the league's top assistant coach in 1993 after leading the Trojan offense to record setting numbers. Then USC quarterback Rob Johnson earned numerous Pac-10 and NCAA records and would later become a first-round draft pick.

Riley remained at USC through the 1997 season, helping the Trojans to victories in the Rose, Cotton, and Freedom Bowls. USC won one outright league title, shared another and finished second one time.

In addition, Riley has been the head coach for three postseason all-star games - the Hula Bowl, East-West Shrine Game and Blue-Gray All-Star Classic. As a Beaver, he has coached current NFL players Steven Jackson, Derek Anderson, Keith Ellison, Dwan Edwards, Tim Euhus, Matt Moore, Sabby Piscitelli, Adam Koets, Mike Hass, Sam Paulescu and Joe Newton.

"He's the nicest guy I know, and one of my closest friends," Robinson said. "Some guys come into your life and really have a positive influence, others just come and go. Everyone who has ever known Mike thinks he's the nicest guy."

Mike and his wife Dee are the parents of one son, Matthew, and one daughter, Kate. Matthew and Kate both attend OSU.

Riley's success at all levels is well documented. He has earned the respect of players, coaches, media and fans. He has been called the savior of Oregon State football and the future continues to look bright for the Orange and Black.

RILEY’S OREGON STATE RECORD

Year                Record            Accomplishment
1997                3-8                   Total revamp of the program
1998                5-6                   Best OSU record in 27 years
2003                8-5                   Las Vegas Bowl Champions
2004                7-5                   Insight Bowl Champions
2005                5-6                   Five First Team All-Pac-10 selections
2006                10-4                 Sun Bowl Champions
2007                9-4                   Emerald Bowl Champions
Total                 47-38

RILEY’S BEAVER HIGHLIGHTS

· December 13, 1996 – Named Head Coach at Oregon State
· September 6, 1997 – OSU scores 27 4th-quarter points to beat North Texas (33-7), earning him
his first career collegiate victory.
· Oct. 10, 1998 – Riley gets first Pac-10 win with victory at Stanford (30-23).
· Nov. 21, 1998 – Still considered the best Civil War ever, OSU defeats Oregon in
double OT (44-41).
· Feb. 19, 2003 – Named Head Coach for the second time at Oregon State.
· Dec. 24, 2003 – Defeats New Mexico in the Las Vegas Bowl (55-14).
· April 24, 2004 -- RB Steven Jackson selected in the first round of the NFL Draft.
· Nov. 20, 2004 – Defeats Oregon, scoring a then Civil War series record 50 points.
· Dec. 28, 2004 – Beats Notre Dame in the Insight Bowl (38-21).
· Oct. 15, 2005 – Defeats No. 18 California in Berkeley (23-20).
· Dec. 8, 2005 – WR Mike Hass and PK Alexis Serna earn national awards at the
ESPN College Football Awards Show.
· Oct. 28, 2006 – Ends No. 3 USC’s 27-game Pac-10 win streak with victory on national TV (33-31).
· Dec. 2, 2006 – Ends No. 24 Hawaii’s 9-game win streak with victory at Honolulu (35-32).
· Dec. 29, 2006 – No. 24 OSU defeats Missouri in the Sun Bowl (39-38).
· Oct. 13, 2007 – Defeats No. 2 California in Berkeley (31-28).
· Dec. 1, 2007 – Defeats No. 18 Oregon in Eugene (38-31 2 OT).
· Dec. 28, 2007 – Beats Maryland in Emerald Bowl (21-14).