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Hands-on approach

Dominique Franks breaks up a pass intended for TCU's Walter Bryant on Sept. 27. Franks' play at cornerback has been solid. MICHAEL WYKE/ Tulsa World

 
By JOHN E. HOOVER World Sports Writer
Published: 10/8/2008  2:11 AM
Last Modified: 10/8/2008  2:58 AM

Stoops helps Sooners' defense by guiding young cornerbacks



NORMAN — Coming into the 2008 season, Oklahoma's most inexperienced position was cornerback.

But OU head coach Bob Stoops has assuaged any fears by taking over coaching of the position himself and turning it into a position of strength.

"The two new guys, Dom Franks and Brian Jackson, have been as good as anybody we've had through five games," Stoops said Tuesday. "It's early, but I have as much confidence in them as anybody I've had."

Partly because of the sudden acumen of Franks and Jackson — they had one career start between them before this year, but have not given up anything close to a deep pass completion so far — the Sooners are 5-0, sit atop the three major-college football polls and are 7-point favorites to beat No. 5 Texas on Saturday in the Cotton Bowl.

In the past, OU's two cornerbacks and three safeties sat in film study and position meetings with one coach, Bobby Jack Wright, who carries the amorphous title of defensive backs coach.

But this season, Stoops has taken over the day-to-day work with the corners.

"I wanted to give him more time in meetings with the safeties," Stoops said of Wright, an OU assistant since 1999 and the defensive backs coach since 2005. "And I was able to free up more time with myself in some afternoons to be more specific with the corners. So with the inexperience of them, we felt, 'Hey, this'll help us, to be more specific with each group.' "

It is not unusual for a head coach to work exclusively with one position. OU defensive coordinator Brent Venables said Jim Tressel, Pete Carroll and Urban Meyer, for instance, all do it. But Stoops takes it a step further. This season, he is the Sooners' cornerbacks coach.

"It tells us he really wants to win," Franks said. "He could be out doing other stuff, like recruiting, but he's worrying about now."

It is like the CEO of a huge company getting down on the assembly line floor and is putting lids on boxes. It's fun, Stoops said.

"Absolutely, I love coaching and working specifically with players, yeah," he said. "And being involved in every part of it, not only schemes, but also the individual drill work in how guys are going to play."

The NCAA limits Bowl Subdivision programs to nine full-time assistants and two graduate assistants. OU has five offensive and four defensive coaches, and the defensive grad assistant this year works with linebackers. Many programs divvy it up differently, devoting two coaches to the secondary and one to the defensive line. OU has two defensive line coaches (Chris Wilson on ends and Jackie Shipp on tackles) and one for defensive backs.

But not any more. At nearly $3 million, Stoops may be college football's highest-paid cornerbacks coach.

"In fall camp, he made an emphasis of being around us and making sure we knew what we were doing. He just coached us up a lot," Jackson said. "We're in film with him every day; we're in meetings with him every day. He's taken really good care of us."

Venables points out that coaching defensive backs is more complex than ever before.

"Just four or five years ago, things were a lot easier, Xs and Os," Venables said. "There's a lot more you have to coach guys on. You're not just in cover-2 all day. When you're multiple in what you do, as multiple as you have to be today to be able to match (offenses) on game day, there's so many different things that you have to coach them on that you just run out of time with the limited resources."

Stoops deflects the attention, crediting Jackson and Franks' "ability and their attention to detail. And coach Wright works with them still, mainly. But I'm sure I've helped to some degree."

Stoops and his brother Mike used to split up the defensive backs when Mike Stoops was coordinator from 1999-2003. Since Mike Stoops left for Arizona, the corners have been coached individually by a graduate assistant, with regular input from Wright and Bob Stoops.

Now, Stoops is with them full time.

"It just shows how devoted he is to us and to this team," said Jackson, who choked back tears Tuesday when discussing his relationship with Stoops. "You've got to appreciate it, and you've got to love him for it."



John E. Hoover 581-8384
john.hoover@tulsaworld.com
By JOHN E. HOOVER World Sports Writer

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COMMENTS 
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4 comments have been made for this team so far. Tell us what you think below!
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Sooner Alum 04, (10/8/2008 12:05:08 PM)
This is why Stoops deserves the big salary he gets. He does nothing but win ball games and runs the best program around. Everybody forgets how terrible OU football was in the 1990's until a certain man was hired in 1998 and the rest has been history. We'll take 11-3 seasons any day of 3-8 5-6 so when people criticize him remember Jon Blake and Schnellenberger they couldn't coach a lick.. Stoops has devoted his time to the cornerbacks because these two are something special and if we can stop big pass plays and shut down the run; season over!! Tuck Fexas!! Boomer SOONER!!!
Report Comment
Davie, (10/8/2008 12:19:17 PM)
Isn't pass interference normally called when a defender is in obviuos contact with the receiver as shown in the photo? Wait, Bob Stoops controls the officials too. My mistake!!
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Sooner Alum 04, (10/8/2008 1:55:44 PM)
Hey Davie, learn the game of football. The ball is coming to the recievers hands and looks as they the defender is playing the ball. Now the only time Stoops has complained about refs was at Oregon in 2006 and if you actually saw that game everyone in the country agrees OU was robbed. You must be a poindexter whose only contact with any sport at all is playing dungeons and dragons. Go play Zelda and get a life. Only comment if you know the game and it appears you know nothing..
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Have that, America (10/9/2008 9:19:33 AM)
actually...sooner alum 04...speaking as someone who played D1 ball...

the defender in the above picture is clearly commiting PI. The ball hasn't gotten to the reciever yet, and the defender is already all over his back with his arm over his shoulder. In order for the defender to have already been in this position he would have had to have gotten on the recievers back a half second or two earlier. Which means, yes, he is clearly guilty of PI.

Not by much...but I'm sure if the call was going the other way and it was an OU reciever/TU defender you would agree.
 

 
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