Former Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops returning to coaching

It’s been tried and tested but the XFL is attempting to make another comeback. After attempting to get the league restarted in 2020 and eventually getting shut down by the COVID-19 pandemic, the famous league will be returning in 2023 with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson being one of the leading figures.

Eight teams will be in the league, with the season scheduled to kick off the Saturday following the NFL’s Super Bowl Sunday. The exact locations of where the teams will be based have not been confirmed by the XFL but a majority are expected to be in the same cities as the 2020 version of the league.

Head coaches for teams, without location attached, were announced on Wednesday. Former Oklahoma Sooners head coach Bob Stoops is going to be one of them. He was involved with the last go-round, serving as the head coach of the Dallas Renegades. Stoops also served as the general manager and will now be returning to the league.

Dallas ended the 2020 season with a 2-3 record, with both wins coming on the road. The team played their home games in Arlington, TX, at Globe Life Park in Arlington. The now-former home of the Texas Rangers has been turned into a football field, hosting not just the Renegades but also high school and college football.

Former Oklahoma quarterback Landry Jones was selected by Stoops to be the franchise’s signal-caller. The offense struggled mightily, with Jones throwing for 784 yards over the five games with five touchdowns and seven interceptions.

Stoops will once again be returning to coach after a brief stink back with Oklahoma. After Lincoln Riley left the program for the USC Trojans, athletic director Joe Castiglione scrambled to find an interim head coach for their bowl game against the Oregon Ducks. Stoops stepped in while also helping Castiglione find the Sooners’ next head coach in Brent Venables.

Oklahoma was able to win the Alamo Bowl quite easily, 47-32, with Stoops putting the final bow on his Sooners career. Now, he is done coaching in the college game and will be focusing on the XFL going forward.

Throughout his career in Norman, Stoops was able to take the program all the way to the top, winning the 2000 national championship. He was one of the most dominant coaches in the Big 12, having 10 conference titles to his name and winning Big 12 Coach of the Year six different times.

While his involvement with Oklahoma may not be done, Bob Stoops will once again take on the adventure of professional football with the XFL.