Coach Q&A: Meet new co-OC/QBs coach Garrett Riley

With spring football practices rapidly approaching, The HillTopics wants to introduce all to the SMU coaching staff. In today's "Coach Q&A," we speak to the newest member of the staff, co-offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Garrett Riley, who is the younger brother of Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley.

Here is Riley's bio, courtesy of SMU Football. Head coach Sonny Dykes hired Riley last month, and since then, the 30-year-old assistant -- who doesn't turn 31 until Sept. 11 -- has been on a non-stop grind to not only improve last year's potent SMU offense but also build relationships to benefit the 2021 recruiting class and beyond.

Riley spoke about being at SMU after a season at Appalachian State, the transition overall, life with his older brother and much more.

You've been here for about a month now. What are some of the things that you've immediately noticed about the environment.

Well everybody's been very welcoming. Being in this building, you've got to expect that a little bit. But even people outside of this building -- alumni, different players, different people all over -- have been great and very welcoming. That's been nice for my family and I. It's a direct reflection of Coach Dykes and how he operates. That's been neat to see firsthand.

As I got here, it was right into recruiting. I got here on a Thursday; recruiting happened the next day. It was three weeks of recruiting Dallas, and that was pretty awesome. To have an opportunity to see the coaches around this community and in the city, and even getting to talk about a lot of the players I knew at Appalachian State, it was pretty cool. The biggest takeaways for me have been the people, the excitement and the momentum going on here, and then you have the recruiting aspect and just getting around those coaches and players.

You had a good gig at Appalachian State but decided to make the move to SMU. How difficult was that move for you?

In any profession, and certainly in this one, most people want to climb the ladder and go for that next opportunity. Even for a person who's pretty young in the profession, I've always been a pretty patient person. I wasn't looking to leave. I was in a great situation. I've always been one of those people who are excited for where I'm at. I think a lot of people would think it's an obvious step, but for me, with my personality, it was such a difficult decision. It was such a great situation there, and my family was happy there. It was a great staff and consistency with that program. It wasn't an easy decision.

But as this thing started to come along, the more Sonny and I talked, the more it got real. Everything about this job -- the relationships of the people, the opportunities, coming back home to Texas -- it all aligned. I knew all along that if a great job came up, it would have to check all the boxes for me in order for me to leave Appalachian State. This is probably one of the few jobs in the country that really checked those boxes.

Throw humility aside. What is it like being a 30-year-old offensive coordinator for an SMU offense that is one of the premier offenses in college football?

It's ... pretty damn exciting. That's the first thing that comes to mind. I'm a pretty humble person, so that's tough for me to answer. I'm just really excited to get around the players. I think it's a testament to Coach Dykes. For him to have the confidence in me and maybe go against the grain a little for him, too, I think that's such a testament to him and his confidence in me -- which obviously makes me a little hungry to prove him right. We have a very explosive roster, and guys had a breakout year last year.

You and big brother Lincoln Riley are six years apart. When it comes to coaching, what kind of advice or tutelage have you gained from him?

I worked with him directly at East Carolina and really got to see him on a day-to-day basis. I think the big thing from that experience was seeing how he was day to day and how he commanded the room when he needed to, but also giving guys the freedom and a little bit of room for their creativity. I think that something he does very well. He has a happy medium and a balance.

Then I think overall, it's just staying the course. He has such a confidence level in how you're training your guys, how you practice, your system, your schematics, all of those things. With that comes adjustments that coaches have to do. The nuts and bolts of it, when things are going great and maybe not as good, you've got to have a trust in yourself and your capabilities. I think that's something I've definitely taken throughout my career. I don't look to change now with that part of it.

Do you guys -- as coaches, as brothers, whatever -- ever have inside or under-the-table competitions as playful fun?

No ... As a coach, I had to be smart the last several years. (laughing) You don't really see each other a whole lot, and when you do, it's family time. I'd say the competitive juices do come out when we do have an opportunity to play some golf together. That usually comes out in a brotherly way. Then on vacations, occasionally a poker game will transpire. Those are kind of the two deals that you can bank on when we're together.

This SMU offense has Shane Buechele, Reggie Roberson Jr., Kylen Granson ... you've got tons of weapons on this offense. What are the expectations around the locker room?

I've got to catch several of their early-morning workouts with Coach Kaz [Kazadi]. Just seeing them athletically and from a leadership standpoint has been pretty cool. It's been probably what I expected from the leaders being leaders and from guys who just do it and end up being vocal guys. Arguably three of your best players are leaders as well.

The expectations, we'll set those as we get into spring football and really identify who we are and what we'll be doing as an offense. Then it'll be all of our jobs to go meet them. I know the outside will have expectations about who's returning and what this offense should be, but when you're in the meeting room and you're in practice every single day, and you're able to really see what's going on every day, I think those are the people who need to set them. We'll have clear expectations, and we'll be sure that we go meet them.

TRACKING THE HILLTOPICS' COACH Q&A SERIES

Feb. 16: OL coach/co-OC AJ Ricker

Today: QB coach/co-OC Garrett Riley