OT: Bob Stoops steps down as Oklahoma coach after 18 seasons play

[Carnac]

Bob Stoops, the longest-tenured coach in college football, has stepped down after 18 seasons with the Oklahoma Sooners, he announced Wednesday.

"After 18 years at the University of Oklahoma, I've decided to step down as the head football coach," Stoops said in a statement. "I feel the timing is perfect to hand over the reins. The program is in tremendous shape. We have outstanding players and coaches and are poised to make another run at a Big 12 and national championship.

[Story]

 

[Carnac]

The stunning news Wednesday that Bob Stoops is stepping down after 18 seasons as Oklahoma's coach immediately thrust his successor into the spotlight.

Lincoln Riley, who just completed his second season as the Sooners' offensive coordinator, will step up and take over the top job.

While the 33-year-old Riley has been among the hottest up-and-coming names in the college coaching ranks the last few years, he's about to face scrutiny like he's never seen before.

Meet Lincoln Riley, the 33-year-old taking over the Oklahoma Sooners

 

[Dove]

Wrong board.

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

Fascinating. Shocking. While I am not an Oklahoma fan in any way, I do wish him well.

 

[triaddukefan]

I remember Lincoln Riley while he was an OC at East Carolina. Listening to the Head Coach at ECU talk about him..... you could tell he wouldnt be a coordinator for that much longer. But for him to be the head coach of a top 10 program at the tender age of 33 is simply astounding..... and your first head coaching job at that.

 

[bags27]

Never liked Stoops or the OSU football program which I've never forgiven for having employed that twisted, win-at-all-costs Barry Switzer--whom Stoops brought back from his well-deserved disgrace to being honored there. The height of historical cynicism.

Wondering (hoping!) that Stoops was gently forced out to assure that they could keep Riley. After all, Stoops has never repeated the success of 2000--which wasn't completely his team, since he was in his 2nd year there--and hasn't been even theoretically contending for a national championship since around 2009. That's a millennium to those folks in Norman.

There are very few honorable D-1 football coaches left. It's such big business with massive pay-offs. All started with Jackie Sherrill signing that huge Texas A&M contract. In many weird ways--and I feel nuts even writing this--the NFL, which is massively vulgar and hypocritical, seems less corrupt than D-1 football.

 

[j66kicker]

Wondering (hoping!) that Stoops was gently forced out to assure that they could keep Riley. After all, Stoops has never repeated the success of 2000--which wasn't completely his team, since he was in his 2nd year there--and hasn't been even theoretically contending for a national championship since around 2009. That's a millennium to those folks in Norman.

There are very few honorable D-1 football coaches left. It's such big business with massive pay-offs. All started with Jackie Sherrill signing that huge Texas A&M contract. In many weird ways--and I feel nuts even writing this--the NFL, which is massively vulgar and hypocritical, seems less corrupt than D-1 football.

Think your theory about keeping Riley may be correct, but being in the playoffs (final 4) in 2016 probably qualifies as, "theoretically contending for a national championship since around 2009", doesn't it?

 

[stwainfan]

That news was a surprise.