Tulsa World: Decade of Bob

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Decade of Bob

OU coach Bob Stoops returned the Sooners to the national title picture after taking over a program that had fallen from its former glory. MIKE SIMONS/ Tulsa World file

By JOHN E. HOOVER World Sports Writer
Published: 8/30/2008 2:05 AM
Last Modified: 8/30/2008 3:07 AM

Related story: Stoops revisited

NORMAN — Forged in the steel mills of Youngstown, Ohio, sharpened in the cornfields of Iowa and the rolling hills of Kansas, and finally polished in the swamps of Florida, Bob Stoops arrived at Oklahoma in December 1998 ready for college football's head coaching battles.

Now, as the Sooners embark on the 2008 season Saturday against Tennessee-Chattanooga, Stoops enters his 10th year on the job. A decade has come and gone.

"It has flown by," Stoops said. "I've said a number of times I feel incredibly fortunate that it has flown by, because that means it's gone pretty well. I couldn't have asked for much more."

Son of an old-school defensive coordinator, best pals with a world champion boxer, a skinny high school wide receiver, an overachieving All-American college safety, an energetic defensive coordinator, an unyielding head coach, a loyal boss, a faithful employee, a devoted family man and a philanthropic citizen — Stoops is all that and more.

"You work with a guy side by side, day after day, for 10 years," OU athletic director Joe Castiglione said, "and you see the measure of the man is more than just a football coach."

Comparing legends

Bud Wilkinson won three national championships in 17 seasons from 1947-63. Barry Switzer won three in 16 seasons from 1973-88. Sooner Nation once might have thought Stoops would have twice that many going into his 10th season.

But they soon found otherwise. After Stoops won it all in '96 as Florida's first-year defensive coordinator, he collected OU's seventh crown in 2000. But that was it. OU is going on eight years without a national championship. There were near misses in 2001 and '02, and title-game defeats in '03 and '04.

This year, the Sooners are ranked fourth in the preseason, although there is no consensus favorite. Oklahoma is a trendy pick to close Stoops' first decade by playing for another national title.

"They're not easy to win," Stoops said. "It's pretty obvious when you look around and see who has 'em and who hasn't. We're fortunate to have our shot at some."

Stoops' teams at OU are 97-22, but he has lost his share, including an ignominious run of four consecutive defeats in Bowl Championship Series games. Stoops, however, remains undaunted by defeat.

"He's so competitive," said administrative coordinator Matt McMillen, maybe Stoops' closest friend at OU. "The ones we lose, obviously he's disappointed. But it's funny about a guy that competitive, he refuses to mope. Within a few hours, it's back to normal. And he doesn't want anybody around him to pout, either. I think he thinks, 'For whatever reason, we didn't win. We'll try to fix it and do better next time and then go on.' He doesn't pout. He hates pouters. And I think his dad hated pouters, he's told me before. Just doesn't like it. It's not a good way to be."

Low or high point?

Stoops never showed his 'let's move on' attitude better than in 2006, when he dismissed starting quarterback Rhett Bomar for NCAA violations. Bomar was the No. 1 quarterback recruit in the country out of high school and, although petulant, in two years was nurtured into what many believed would be the best in OU history.

Instead, he was exiled to Division I-AA, his name stricken from the record books.

The whole scenario became the low point of Stoops' career. Yet some think it is his finest hour.

"Oh, I think it was incredibly difficult," McMillen said. "But at the same time, he never wavered in how he approached our team. He said, 'We've got some adversity here and here's how we're going to move ahead,' and we ended up having a great year It was amazing how he just didn't dwell on it."

Said Castiglione, "He is fantastic to work with as an AD to a coach. It's an ideal relationship. The root of it is probably trust. He understands his role over something that is important to not just the university and not just the broader University of Oklahoma community, but something that's important to the state and the country. You're talking about one of the most storied college football programs of all time. And he's the CEO. He has extended that legacy and taken it places it's never been."

Making his mark

Stoops made his legend on the football field. But he does his best work off it.

In 2000, he started visiting sick children in local hospitals. The gold ribbon pin he wears on his signature visor on game days is a gift from a terminally ill boy.

Stoops' Champions Foundation puts on annual golf and bowling benefits that so far has raised $800,000 for kids who are ill or otherwise disadvantaged.

Stoops' compensation for 2008 is $2.77 million. Just $200,000 of that comes from the university, the rest comes from the athletic department's fundraising arm. If he is still the coach on Dec. 31, he will be paid another $3 million, an anniversary bonus. Over the years, Stoops has rebuffed job opportunities with Florida, the Cleveland Browns and the San Francisco 49ers, and perhaps others. He has never fired an assistant and lost only those who took NFL or head coaching jobs.

Whether he will be at OU another 10 years, or whether he can match the legends of Switzer and Wilkinson, only time knows. For now, those around him appreciate what they have.

"He is exceptional. Just the perfect guy," Castiglione said. "I know it's hard to use the term perfect, but he is the perfect guy for the University of Oklahoma, and he's proven that year after year since the day he was named. Leaving a mark is one thing. Putting your footprints in the sand is another. He has positioned this program for even more greatness. I think all of us should be not just excited but grateful that we're along for that ride."

John E. Hoover 581-8384
john.hoover@tulsaworld.com

3 storylines

A look at three keys to watch in today’s OU-Chattanooga contest.

Bench Murray

If the Sooners had a junior varsity, they could line them up and still win comfortably. So why push your luck? Keeping running back DeMarco Murray healthy will be a key factor if No. 4-ranked OU is going to repeat as Big 12 champs and make it to the national championship game. Murray, recovering from offseason knee surgery, still is not 100 percent and could always use another week to recover.

Something for Joey

Remember how ill-prepared Joey Halzle was when he was thrown into the game last year at Texas Tech? After Sam Bradford’s day is done, ideally after about five series, Halzle could get a lot of meaningful work. He needs time on task not only running the offense at full speed, but building a rapport with the Sooner receiving corps. As the legit backup this year, he will get quality time in other games, but he needs more than just a few mop-up series.

Trench warfare

The Sooners have Chattanooga outmanned on both the offensive and defensive lines. But the same thing was said in the last two Fiesta Bowls and OU linemen were embarrassed. The Moccasins are no West Virginia or even Boise State. But if they come into Memorial Stadium full of pluck and attitude, and start to outplay their bigger counterparts in the hustle and heart department, OU could be shamed. Oklahoma simply needs to play hard up front.

By JOHN E. HOOVER World Sports Writer

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