Bob Stoops: Oklahoma will still be giant in college football

The Oklahoma Sooners football program seems to be in disarray after the surprising departure of head coach Lincoln Riley, who on Sunday accepted the same role at USC. While Oklahoma athletic director Joe Castiglione embarks on a coaching search, the Sooners have brought back legendary head coach Bob Stoops as the interim leader.

Stoops didn’t hesitate to accept the role of interim head coach, despite it requiring him to come out of retirement. Moreover, he didn’t hesitate to label Oklahoma as one of college football’s premier programs, despite what’s occurred over the past few days. After all, as Stoops said, the history is there — and, perhaps more importantly, he has faith that Castiglione will pick the right man to lead the program.

“Well, it’s an easy sell,” Stoops said of Oklahoma. “You sell the university, you sell the leadership here that’s in front of you, you sell the history of success, not just in the last 23 years — decades of success. And it’s going to continue to happen. We’ve got great leadership, great facilities, a great university to recruit to academically. All of it together, it’s still here. And this job with all of the pluses of it is going to attract a top, great coach, and Joe will find the right great coach. They’re out there, and this is an attractive job. So, give it time and I think everybody will be pleased with it.”

Stoops is coming out of retirement to coach Oklahoma in its impending postseason bowl game. Stoops last coached the Dallas Renegades of the XFL in 2020, but he has not coached in college since he left Oklahoma in 2016; after his departure, Riley took over as head coach.

Stoops was Oklahoma’s head coach from 1999-2016. He came to Oklahoma from Florida, where he served as the assistant head coach and defensive coordinator, and Oklahoma was the only head coaching job of his career. In 18 seasons, Stoops went to 18 bowl games, going 9-9 in postseason play. He won Oklahoma its last national title in 2000, when the Sooners finished 13-0 and won the Orange Bowl in just his second year at the helm. By the time of Stoops’ retirement in 2016, he had amassed a 190-48 record in Norman, and he was succeeded by Riley.

Riley shifted the college football landscape with one swift move Sunday, as he reportedly accepted the USC head coaching job, leaving his stable post in Oklahoma behind.

Contract details have yet to be announced. Per USA Today, Riley was the fifth-highest paid coach this season with a $7.672 million salary.

In his fifth season with the Sooners, Riley was tabbed as the heir to Stoops’ dynasty. Oklahoma is 10-2 this season and was on the cusp of a College Football Playoff berth until its loss to Oklahoma State on Saturday night. A win would have set up the Sooners to meet the Cowboys in Dallas for the Big 12 title this coming weekend.

Riley took over for Stoops in June 2017. Initially hired by Stoops as an offensive coordinator in 2015, Riley built the Sooners into a top-10 offense in the 2016 season and won the Broyles Award, given to the nation’s top assistant coach.

There are a handful of reasons why Riley would want to make the move. For starters, Oklahoma is set to join the SEC in the coming years and as early as 2023. While the Sooners are constantly in the playoff conversation and winners of six-consecutive Big 12 titles, making the jump to the most competitive conference in the nation could backfire.

With a 55-10 overall record and 37-7 mark in conference play at Oklahoma, Riley has made the playoff four times but still doesn’t have a national title game appearance. Making the move to USC gives the 38-year-old head coach a backyard loaded with talent.