It appears Lincoln Riley has all but officially gotten his man.
Earlier this month, reports surfaced that Bob Diaco was expected to take a job on Riley’s Oklahoma football staff. Friday, Pete Thamel of SI.com tweeted that Diaco has finalized a deal to join the football program. ESPN.com‘s Adam Rittenberg subsequently confirmed the initial report.
With all 10 of Riley’s on-field assistant slots filled, Diaco will serve as a defensive analyst for the Sooners.
Source: Bob Diaco finalized his deal to spend this season as a defensive analyst at Oklahoma.
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) March 23, 2018
Bob Diaco's move to #Oklahoma is finalized, according to a source. Diaco will serve as a defensive analyst this season. @PeteThamel first reported the move. Diaco spent last season as #Nebraska's defensive coordinator after the previous three as #UConn head coach.
— Adam Rittenberg (@ESPNRittenberg) March 23, 2018
Diaco spent the 2017 season as the defensive coordinator at Nebraska, let go after that one year following the firing of head coach Mike Riley. Prior to that brief stint in Lincoln, he was the head coach at UConn for three seasons before being fired after going 11-26 during his time with the Huskies.
Prior to that, he was the coordinator at Notre Dame for four seasons from 2010-13.