Bob Stoops admits coaching against brother Mark was 'very awkward'

With Oklahoma entering the SEC, the Sooners will soon face a familiar last name in Kentucky coach Mark Stoops. The brother of former OU coach Bob Stoops, Mark Stoops has been the headman of the Wildcats since 2013.

Not to mention Mike Stoops, the third brother, is also on staff at UK.

Kentucky isn’t set to square off against the Sooners this upcoming season, but it’s only a matter of time before the two meet for the first time since 1982. Bob Stoops joined the SEC Network on Monday to offer his opinion on what that matchup will be like for Oklahoma fans and coach Brent Venables.

“At least Mark wasn’t actually on our staff, so that’s a little bit different than Brent and Mike were together,” Bob Stoops said. “I didn’t like coaching against my brothers, my brother Mark. That was very awkward. Just didn’t like it at all. But once you’re on the field, Mark and Brent will go at it just like they’re supposed to.”

Bob Stoops never coached against Mark Stoops when the latter was a head coach, though the brothers did have a couple of run-ins during Mark’s days as an assistant. Both occurred when Mark Stoops was the defensive coordinator at Florida State in 2010 and 2011 with the Sooners winning both times.

That was just two years before he ended up taking the job in Lexington. Bob Stoops coached just four seasons after his brother accepted that job before retiring, so unfortunately they’ll never meet as head coaches.

Still, the future matchups between Oklahoma and Kentucky should bring plenty of excitement for Sooners fans. Mark Stoops has helped build the Wildcats into a consistent winning program, something that couldn’t be said when he took over. He has twice led them to 10-win seasons, doubling the number the program had prior to his arrival.

Mark Stoops’ overall record at Kentucky comes out to 73-65 with just one losing season in the past eight years.

For Venables, who coached with Mike Stoops at Oklahoma and has remained close with the family, it will certainly be a unique experience. It’s just one of the many things to look forward to as the Sooners officially joined the SEC on Monday.

We might not know when the matchup is coming just yet, but one thing we can guarantee is that it should be plenty entertaining.