I'm probably going to write on an article on my website about OU in the next few days. But history tells us that winning coaches at Blueblood programs who leave on a winning note after a long tenure at the same school, are a very hard act to follow (think Tom Osborne at Nebraska). Unlike Bob's steadiness year after year (18 bowls in 18 years and many 10 win seasons) I think Riley will have many more peaks and valleys. Bob was a much more seasoned coach when he got to OU. He had coached at Iowa, KSU and Florida before landing the job. Plus his dad was a coach. And he knew a lot of people around the country and was able to assemble the best coaching staff at the time. I would imagine if Mike Stoops isn't gone this year, he will for sure be gone next year, because the BOR wants him out, and there's nothing standing in their way now that big brother is gone. So there could be some friction there in this first year if he stays. And defense already looks like it's the main weakness of this team.
Here's a statement by Bill Snyder on Stoops https://twitter.com/Jake_Trotter/status/872928306961756160/photo/1
As a Longhorn, I'll miss Coach Stoops on the sidelines the 2nd week of October in the State Fair of Texas every year. God I hated having to play his teams (I'm a fan), but man, we are going to look back on those years of Mack/ Stoops and remember that out of the 10 years they went head to head, 7 times did one of those teams play for a national championship. Pretty amazing. Greach coach and even better man. I respect the hell out of him. I also think we'll see him on a sideline in a few years.
Living in Norman is like dog years. 18 years is like 50 human years. Only steak you can get is at Golden Corral. No wonder he's moving to Chicago. Best steakhouses in the world and phenomenal golf courses. Good luck to him and his family!
Living in Norman is like dog years. 18 years is like 50 human years. Only steak you can get is at Golden Corral. No wonder he's moving to Chicago. Best steakhouses in the world and phenomenal golf courses. Good luck to him and his family!
The BOR has never liked Mike antics or attitude on the field. It was the big part of the reason why his brother took him off the field and put him up in the press box during games. I think Mike is okay for now since it's pretty late in the game to be switching coordinators. And Riley will be busy enough looking for a new OC. But after this year it's anybody's guess. There are many different opinions on what kind of defense OU will have this year. They appear to be more talented in spots, but less experienced. And Mike's shitty schemes or play calling is always good for at least one or two losses every season. One thing I do like this year is they are going with a better overall scheme instead of farting around with the 3-4 like they have the last couple of years. I've never liked the 3-4, especially against good running teams. WV rushed for nearly 400 yards on OU last year. Auburn would have probably done the same if their QB hadn't gone down and they had a shitty passer for a backup. Mike Stoops defense ending the season on a high note was probably the only thing that saved his job for this season.
Some quotes from around CFB:
- The Oklahoman’s Berry Tramel on Bob Stoops’ legacy: “He’s on Rushmore with Wilkinson and Switzer. Bob’s chief crime was he won his national title in year No. 2, instead of year No. 12 or 13. But that’s a first-world problem. He’s a monumentally successful coach.”
- ESPN’s Paul Finebaum: “The table is set. There’s nothing left to do. You still have to coach and game plan, but Lincoln Riley can do that. I don’t think there will be a big dropoff. The only question is will Lincoln Riley be a good head coach, and the chemistry on the team and coaching staff with instead of an 56-year-old guy who’d been at the school for 18 years, with a 33-year-old guy who’s never been a head coach.”
- Fox Sports’ Bruce Feldman: “This has been in the works for a little bit. Internally, some people knew about it. He and the AD had been grooming Lincoln Riley before this, for over a year. I think it came down to when exactly this would happen. Bob Stoops decided relatively recently he felt the timing was right, just wanted to go live life. … When I asked someone who knows him, he said he’s not coming back, he’s done, this is it. You only live once, and I think he’s satisfied with his coaching career.
- ESPN’s Heather Dinich: “This is a huge loss for the Big 12. This is their guy. This is their famous face. He is the Big 12 right now. It goes beyond Oklahoma. It affects the entire conference. If you look at the rest of the schools, he is the Big 12."
- SEC Network’s Cole Cubelic: “If you’re going to have a win in situation with this timing, Oklahoma got one by being able to turn to Lincoln Riley. Very surprising where it falls in the year. These young men are going to have very limited time around their coaches for the next two, three months. But coaches do get a little more time now. That becomes even more valuable for Oklahoma, from a leadership standpoint, a communication standpoint.”
- Fox Sports’ Joel Klatt: “He sees what happens to other coaches and programs. One thing Bob wanted to avoid more than anything was a messy transition of power. He sees what happens at Texas when Mack Brown leaves. He sees what happene at Tennessee when Phillip Fulmer leaves. He sees what happens when they were in the wilderness after Gene Stallings. All those things influenced what Stoops wanted to do.”
- The Oklahoman’s Berry Tramel on Bob Stoops’ legacy: “He’s on Rushmore with Wilkinson and Switzer. Bob’s chief crime was he won his national title in year No. 2, instead of year No. 12 or 13. But that’s a first-world problem. He’s a monumentally successful coach.”
- ESPN’s Paul Finebaum: “The table is set. There’s nothing left to do. You still have to coach and game plan, but Lincoln Riley can do that. I don’t think there will be a big dropoff. The only question is will Lincoln Riley be a good head coach, and the chemistry on the team and coaching staff with instead of an 56-year-old guy who’d been at the school for 18 years, with a 33-year-old guy who’s never been a head coach.”
- Fox Sports’ Bruce Feldman: “This has been in the works for a little bit. Internally, some people knew about it. He and the AD had been grooming Lincoln Riley before this, for over a year. I think it came down to when exactly this would happen. Bob Stoops decided relatively recently he felt the timing was right, just wanted to go live life. … When I asked someone who knows him, he said he’s not coming back, he’s done, this is it. You only live once, and I think he’s satisfied with his coaching career.
- ESPN’s Heather Dinich: “This is a huge loss for the Big 12. This is their guy. This is their famous face. He is the Big 12 right now. It goes beyond Oklahoma. It affects the entire conference. If you look at the rest of the schools, he is the Big 12."
- SEC Network’s Cole Cubelic: “If you’re going to have a win in situation with this timing, Oklahoma got one by being able to turn to Lincoln Riley. Very surprising where it falls in the year. These young men are going to have very limited time around their coaches for the next two, three months. But coaches do get a little more time now. That becomes even more valuable for Oklahoma, from a leadership standpoint, a communication standpoint.”
- Fox Sports’ Joel Klatt: “He sees what happens to other coaches and programs. One thing Bob wanted to avoid more than anything was a messy transition of power. He sees what happens at Texas when Mack Brown leaves. He sees what happene at Tennessee when Phillip Fulmer leaves. He sees what happens when they were in the wilderness after Gene Stallings. All those things influenced what Stoops wanted to do.”
