Oklahoma's Lincoln Riley says he's 'not going to be the next head coach at LSU'

STILLWATER, Oklahoma — The coaching carousel is a ride that stops for no one.

Apparently Lincoln Riley is ready to step off the ride.

When asked about the LSU opening after Oklahoma's 37-33 loss at Oklahoma State on Saturday, Riley did his best to put the rustling rumors to rest.

"I'm not going to be the next head coach at LSU," Riley said.

LSU head coach Ed Orgeron agreed to part ways with the program at the end of this season, and Riley has been connected to the Tigers' soon-to-be coaching vacancy throughout the past few days in several creative — albeit shaky — ways.

From tracking various LSU commits who now follow Riley on Twitter to monitoring flights from Norman, Oklahoma to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Tigers fans have been relentless in the pursuit of their top coaching target.

Riley's response holds the same sentiment as the one he gave earlier in the week. When asked about the rumors during his weekly media session Tuesday, Riley reinforced his allegiance to OU.

"There's nothing to handle," Riley said. "It's pretty easy. I coach the University of Oklahoma football team. You guys know how I feel about this place and this program. We've all been down this road many times before. You guys know where I stand on that, and that hasn't changed."

Justin Martinez can be reached at jmartinez@oklahoman.com or @JTheSportsDude on Twitter. Make sure to subscribe to The Oklahoman to stay up to date with all local sports.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma's Lincoln Riley dismisses LSU rumors after Bedlam loss