[1] Riley served as a high school head football coach, college assistant, and as the head football coach at East Tennessee State University in Johnson City, Tennessee, from 1998 to 1991.
[3] Riley next was hired to serve as both head football coach and athletic director at Greeneville High School.
[4] In 1966 he was hired at Vanderbilt where he coached the freshman team and served as a defensive assistant through the 1971 season.
[2][7] On February 1, 1988, Riley was formally introduced as the 13th all-time head coach at East Tennessee State.
[8] On November 12, 1991, he announced his resignation as head coach of the Buccaneers, effective the end of the season.