Remember when Stoops was about the only one who believed he wasn't leaving OU for Notre Dame?
Published: 10/24/2012 9:16 AM
Last Modified: 10/24/2012 9:16 AM
Here's an Oklahoma-Notre Dame subplot that's worth a look: Remember that time when everyone thought Bob Stoops was going to be Notre Dame's head coach?
Three years ago after the Irish canned Charlie Weis, Stoops' name popped up everywhere. No seriously, everywhere. Remember?
Two weeks before the 2009 season had even ended, the Chicago Sun-Times fired off this beauty: "Stoops and Iowa's Kirk Ferentz will be on athletic director Jack Swarbrick's list of candidates to replace Charlie Weis."
And: "Stoops has told confidants that he would be interested in taking over the Irish."
At least the South Bend Tribune waited till later in the month before reporting Stoops was Swarbrick's "top choice."
And: "He's Irish. He's Catholic. He's Midwestern."
And: "Joe Castiglione may be in the mix at Michigan."
Oh, and: "Wife Carol is a powerhouse in the cosmetics business for Mary Kay."
The day of Notre Dame's season-ending loss at Stanford, the Chicago Tribune was reporting that a pregame broadcast report was speculating: "Stoops would be on his way to South Bend as early as Sunday."
I think that was Tony Barnhart doing the speculating on CBS. He's Mr. SEC, you know, but he still found time to work in that nugget.
Sort of like Adam Schefter is Mr. NFL, and yet the ESPN reporter found time to tweet that sources were telling him Stoops will become the next Fighting Irish coach.
Anyhow, about a week later Stoops got tired of debunking the reports unofficially – he did so to the Tulsa World via text – and went to the trouble of actually putting out a statement that read:
"For the third, and hopefully final time, let me again state that I will continue to be the coach at Oklahoma. I appreciate the history and tradition of Notre Dame. I also appreciate the history and tradition of Oklahoma and I have been part of building that tradition here.
"I work for a wonderful president and athletic director, who have created an incredible work environment at OU. There haven't been any plans for a meeting or negotiations with Notre Dame and there will not be. Any reporting to that fact is completely erroneous. I will not be the next coach at Notre Dame."
Stoops stayed. Swarbrick hired Brian Kelly. The two will meet Saturday night on Owen Field.
But before we get back to the power and glory of that game, a tip of the cap to Matt Hinton. He's a CBSSports.com blogger now. Three years ago, he did Yahoo's Dr. Saturday blog. And the night of Nov. 29, amid the raging Stoops-to-South Bend wildfires, he posted this gem:
"Stoops, for the record, has no past connection to Notre Dame, has never described it as his 'dream job' and has no apparent reason to leave the lucrative juggernaut he's built in Norman for a gig that's eventually swallowed up three straight coaches with winning records and January bowl games on their resumes.
"By my count, Stoops has only publicly denied his interest in ND twice so far – only eight or nine denials short of Urban Meyer's tally, meaning Stoops will remain in the mix for no good reason for at least another week before Cincinnati's Brian Kelly emerges as the clear frontrunner."
Stoops issued his statement one week later. Kelly emerged. Hinton took a bow.
Written by
Guerin Emig
Sports Writer
