That’s one thing a lot of LSU fans aren’t really considering. Top coaches make so much money now that simply outbidding their current school isn’t gonna do it unless you REALLY outbid them. 20 years ago, big difference between a guy making $400k and $1.2 million. But $10 and $12? Meh.

And yes, the LSU job is top 5 in a vacuum. If there were a Harvard graduate school for college football coaches and the top guy in the class got to come out and choose between Oklahoma and LSU, of course he’d choose LSU. But we’re not in a vacuum. Timing matters so much. Riley’s been in Norman almost 8 years now. He’s got a wife that probably has a lot of friends there. He’s got 2 young daughters that also have friends there. Probably go to a great school that they love. Probably live in a nice neighborhood with neighbors they enjoy. Friends they’ve made. Maybe a church they attend where they love the pastor and the congregation. Maybe a lake he loves to take his girls tubing. Or a secret spot he’s discovered near a brush, just off the bank, where the fish are always biting.

Oklahoma has a Republican governor, whose conservative values may be more in line with the Riley’s’. I also think I saw where they do a good bit of charity work there. He is the king of Norman, Oklahoma. And his wife is the queen. They have set roots, formed friendships, tied bonds. They’re a part of a community. He’s not giving all that up to make $12 million per year instead of $10 million (though I think OU would probably go $12 if they had to).

And there’s job security concerns for not only him, but his entire staff, most of whom he’d be asking to uproot their families to follow him as well, though they won’t be making the same kind of money as him and will be the 1st ones sacrificed if a season goes sour. Nothing happens in a vacuum. Timing matters so much more than has been given credit for on here.