College football world reacts to Mike Riley leaving Oregon State for Nebraska

You'd be hard-pressed to find a more universally respected college football coach than Mike Riley.

During a coaching career that totaled 14 years in Corvallis, Riley helped build the Oregon State program from the ground up while establishing a reputation as one of the most well-liked coaches in the nation. But on Thursday, Nebraska announced that it had hired Riley away from the Beavers to fill its vacant head coaching position after Bo Pelini was fired last week.

Thursday afternoon, Oregon State Athletic Director Bob De Carolis issued this statement regarding Riley's departure: 

“Although we are extremely disappointed of losing a person and coach the caliber of Mike Riley, we are happy for him regarding his new opportunity. We wish Mike, Dee and their family the best as his career begins a new chapter. Coach Riley has twice led a program, with integrity, to new heights and tremendous growth. The entire university owes him a well-deserved thank you. We are excited about the future for the loyal fans and donors of Beaver Nation as we  launch our search for the  new leader of our football program”

From Pac-12 territory to the East Coast, Riley's shift from Oregon State to Nebraska elicited some strong reactions from the college football world.