rainingmaize

June 7th, 2017 at 3:16 PM ^

This is a couple of things. One Bob Stoops has been at OU for 18 years. That is a long time. From what I'm hearing, this is a natural retirment in that a coach just wants to do other things. Also this wasn't a sudden development within the OU circles. That's why they gave Lincoln Riley a massive extension. 

BoFlex

June 7th, 2017 at 3:35 PM ^

Don't know where to find the live press conference if there is one, but reading comments on-line it seems like he confirmed it isn't because of health.

Apparently Stoops said something like "it is the right time, wrong time of the year, but the perfect offseason to transition."

So I'm guessing Stoops was comfortable handing the program off to Riley while the team was loaded with upperclassmen, and one of their best recruiting classes recently coming in.

Kevin13

June 7th, 2017 at 5:15 PM ^

and I don't think anyone had wind of it until he announced today. Probably a great move by hiim. He's still young and has his health. Have to imagine he has plenty of money, might as well move on and enjoy an easier life.. He is going to continue to do something with OU, probably some type of advisory position, but sure it will be a lot less stress then coaching.

Leaders And Best

June 7th, 2017 at 3:22 PM ^

As I commented below, Stoops has little connection to Lincoln Riley. Riley has only been on staff since 2015 and is a disciple of Mike Leach.

Bob Stoops' own brother Mike has been on staff longer and is the defensive coordinator. Did I mention he was his brother? But Stoops would do this for an assistant he has only known for 2 years instead?

FrankMurphy

June 7th, 2017 at 5:49 PM ^

It's weird, but not unprecedented. When Bret Bielema became head coach at Wisconsin, he had only been on Barry Alvarez's staff for two years and had no prior connection to Wisconsin, yet he was Alvarez's hand-picked successor. Alvarez is the patriarch of that program and he became AD when he retired from coaching, so it's doubtful that decision came from anyone but Alvarez. 

Mike Stoops didn't exactly set the world on fire when he was head coach at Arizona, so Bob Stoops recommending his brother to succeed him would have been seen as pure nepotism. 

Mr. Yost

June 7th, 2017 at 8:50 PM ^

Riley has been mentioned for multiple HC jobs and he was sign, sealed and delivered to ECU for a second there. He's a hot, Hot, HOT name as far as OCs go.

It was well known around OU that he was next in line if he could get experience under Stoops.

Brother Stoops was never going to be a HC, if he was, he would've done so elsewhere a long time ago.

 

This isn't weird at all, what will be weird is if Lincoln Riley shakes up a good amount of the coaching staff. I can't see it happening, but you never know.

BeatIt

June 7th, 2017 at 8:58 PM ^

Not that it matters but I believe that was his 2nd year there and he won with the previous staffs players. In 5 of his first 6 years at Okie he won 12 games or more. 13-0 his 2nd year @ Okie and won the natty versus Oregon. I guess that's when he got the moniker "Big Game Bob"

canzior

June 7th, 2017 at 3:36 PM ^

it was Stoops 2nd year, so he won a title kids already in the program. Not to say he wasn't a better coach than Blake, but it should be noted that he never finished higher than 3rd, in nearly 20 years at a premier program. Especially with Texas being down.  

He was a good coach, definitely top 10 (current as of 9 am) in my opinion, however he did do a poor job a few times in big games. And a .500 bowl record at OU is decent, but not great.

uncle leo

June 7th, 2017 at 3:41 PM ^

Any time you say a coach is in the top 10, that automatically disqualifies the notion that he is overrated.

I know, I know, it's horrible to say something bad about Bo... But oh well, here goes.

Bo was 5-12 in bowl games.

Could Stoops have won another natty? Maybe. But he's a really damn good coach.

WolverineHistorian

June 7th, 2017 at 4:50 PM ^

Indeed. And people seem to forget how bad Oklahoma was when Stoops got there. The seven seasons prior to his arrival, the Sooners were 5-4-2, 8-4, 6-6, 5-5-1, 3-8, 4-8 and 5-6.

I remember watching a crappy Northwestern team run them off the field in '97.

UMxWolverines

June 8th, 2017 at 12:01 AM ^

Bob Stoops has accomplished a lot more than Lloyd, just saying.

10 conference titles, 7 when you couldn't share them when Texas and Mack Brown were good as well but only won 2. Kansas State was real good too a couple of years. 4 National title appearances, a playoff appearance, and a national championship. If Harbaugh accomplished that I would be overjoyed.

BeatIt

June 7th, 2017 at 9:03 PM ^

Hey when you are making $5 mil a year who cares. He should be worth at least $20 million plus his real estate. Yea he won some Big 12 games but irrelevant on the national stage since 2000.

MGoStu

June 8th, 2017 at 10:02 AM ^

As good as OU has been during his time there, they've been playing great teams in their bowl games. Winning half isn't so bad. I can't get on board with the idea that he's not a great coach because he didn't win more national championships. The vast majority of coaches never win one.

CRISPed in the DIAG

June 7th, 2017 at 3:11 PM ^

56 y/o is young.  He could hang out in the booth this fall and take his pick of jobs in Nov/Dec.  

It seems like one of those "step down now so my chosen coach fills the interim job" moves.

DrMantisToboggan

June 7th, 2017 at 3:24 PM ^

Little connection maybe, but I'm sure you don't know about his loyalty, unless you are secretly Mrs. Carol Stoops, Bob's wife and longtime MGoBlog poster. You are overlooking the possibility that maybe Stoops just thought Riley was best for the program, despite being together only a short time.

 

56 is a weird age to retire for a school legend, so I'm not saying this is the explanation for sure, but you can't dismiss the idea that Stoops thinks Riley should be the coach just because they've only been together for 2.5 years. Stoops did bring Riley to Oklahoma, after all. 

Leaders And Best

June 7th, 2017 at 3:31 PM ^

There is no reason to go to these lengths to get Lincoln Riley the job. If Riley were that talented, he would have probably gotten the job at the end of the year  when most coaches normally retire. And that is the point. There is no long-term relationship to explain this especially when his own brother is the defensive coordinator and one of his longest serving assistants.