'He was the catalyst': Bob Stoops says Josh Heupel 'is the MVP of all my recruits' at Oklahoma
Bob Stoops isn’t taking questions this week. The former longtime Oklahoma football coach made that clear on social media on Sunday when he posted a statement saying he wouldn’t be doing any interviews during Tennessee-Oklahoma week.
On one side, it’s Stoops’ Sooners and Brent Venables, his former defensive coordinator. On the other side, it’s Josh Heupel, his former quarterback, assistant coach and offensive coordinator.
“Having a strong history with both Brent Venables (and) Josh Heupel as players/coaches has led to far too many requests for interviews,” Stoops wrote, “so I’m respectfully declining them all. All attention needs to be on those two coaches (and) their programs.”
No. 6 Tennessee at No. 15 Oklahoma, Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET, ABC
No. 6 Tennessee (3-0) goes to No. 15 Oklahoma (3-0) for a prime time showdown Saturday night. The Sooners are making their debut as an SEC team against Heupel, the quarterback who led the program to the 2000 national championship and a perfect 13-0 record as an All-American and Heisman Trophy runner-up.
It’s Heupel’s first return to Norman since Stoops fired him as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2014.
“I have great respect for both coaches,” Stoops wrote. “I’m grateful for their great work here at OU; Brent as a coach here for 13 years including our national championship in 2000. Josh as our QB (and) coach for 10 years. I’ve often said (Heupel) is the MVP of all my recruits because he was the catalyst that (got) us started in ’99.”
Venables was in his second year as co-defensive coordinator during the national championship season in 2000, with Heupel in his second year in the program as the transfer quarterback.
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“(He’s) a great friend,” Venables said of Heupel during SEC Media Days back in July, “just really happy for him and the success that he’s had. No surprise. He’s always been a winner.”
Josh Heupel improved to 30-12 at Tennessee in 71-0 win over Kent State
Heupel coached at Oklahoma from 2006-14 before being fired by Stoops. He coached at Utah State in 2015, then was Missouri’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the next two seasons before being hired as head coach at Central Florida in 2018.
He went 28-8 in three seasons at UCF, with Tennessee hiring him away in January 2021. He’s 30-12 with the Vols.
“For me, from my coaching career to playing career, a lot of great relationships, a lot of great memories (at Oklahoma),” Heupel said in July, “so many people that have been a huge part of helping me as a player grow as a man helping me in this profession as well. So a lot of great memories.”
“It’ll be unique to go back and play inside of that stadium,” Heupel added, “being on the other sideline.”
