Oregon State Football Camps
Head Coach Mike Riley

Mike Riley has rightfully been credited with the rebirth of Oregon State football. The 57-year-old head coach has guided the Beavers to six bowl games in the last seven years, winning five, and started the rejuvenation of the program during his first tenure in 1997-98 that subsequently made three postseason appearances.

A member of the American Football Coaches Association's (AFCA) Board of Trustees and Ethics Committee, Riley is the second winningest coach in Beaver football history with 64 victories - 10 short of matching Lon Stiner's (1933-48) total. His resume sparkles with achievements, including the 2008 AFCA and Pac-10 Conference Coach of the Year. The Beavers are the only team to finish in the top three of the Pac-10 standings in each of the last four seasons and have appeared in the final Associated Press top-25 rankings in three of the last four years.

The tenth-year head coach has also led his team to outstanding success in the classroom, where over the last three years Beavers have been honored by the Pac-10 for academic achievement 35 times. He's also developed future NFL players with 20 draftees (as of Jan. 2010) since his second arrival in 2003 and only USC has had more than OSU's 61 all-conference selections.

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 and 2008 Sun Bowls, 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, 6-3 in '07, 7-2 in '08 and 6-3 in `09) since 1969.

In 2009, Riley and his staff had a monumental task of replacing nearly every starter on defense and a total of seven NFL draftees. The Beavers not only qualified for a bowl game, but also for the second straight year played the season finale for the opportunity to receive the Rose Bowl berth. A league-high seven Beavers earned first team All-Pac-10 honors and the team finished higher than the preseason predictions for the fourth consecutive year.

The 2008 Beavers lost more starters than any other Pac-10 team, but Riley and his staff found replacements within the program to turn what was expected to be a rebuilding year into a 9-4 season and the program's second-best ever mark in the Pac-10 Conference at 7-2 (tied for second). All of this while playing a schedule that was considered one of the toughest in the nation that included three BCS bowl teams (USC, Utah, Penn State). The keynote victory of the season was a 27-21 win over then No. 1 USC Sept. 25 -- at the time the Beavers were unranked. The season culminated with a 3-0 victory over No. 18 Pittsburgh in the Sun Bowl, a game OSU played without two of the team's top three offensive weapons - Pac-10 Offensive MVP and All-America running back Jacquizz Rodgers and his brother receiver James Rodgers. The team ended the year No. 18 in the final Associated Press Poll and No. 19 in the USA Today.

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 at 6-3 in the league. The team 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 against the run and accumulated the most yards lost via tackles than any other team in the Football Bowl Subdivision.

The 2006 team became only the second club in OSU history to capture at least 10 victories - winning eight of the last nine, including defeating No. 3 USC, 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.

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 overall in the nation. The team fought through early setbacks before defeating Oregon in the annual Civil War in then record fashion. The victory over the archrivals propelled OSU to a convincing 38-21 victory over Notre Dame in the 16th annual 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. 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.

Riley calls Corvallis his hometown, although he was born in Wallace, Idaho. He grew up watching Beaver football, as his father Bud was an assistant coach for the program from 1965-72 and again in 1979. 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, the first and only for the program since the Pac-8/10 Conference was formed in 1968.

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 the professional ranks 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 level 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.

Mike and his wife Dee are the parents of one son, Matthew, and one daughter, Kate. Matthew, an OSU graduate, is currently employed within the Beaver Athletic Department as a video specialist and Kate is a senior at OSU. Mike's brother, Edward Riley, is a physician and Associate Professor at the Stanford University School of Medicine.

Riley is under contract at OSU through at least 2019 - his contract rolls over one year for every time the team plays in a bowl game.

His success at all levels is well documented. Riley 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
2008                9-4                   Sun Bowl Champions
2009                8-5                   Las Vegas Bowl participant
Total 64-47
 
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).