December 1, 1998. What Did You Think?

[MichiganSooner]

12/1/98 is the date Coach Stoops was introduced as Oklahoma's next great coach. In the next few weeks, Stoops said stuff like, I don't have a 5 year plan but I've got a plan for the offense, the defense, the special teams and we will become exciting to watch and we will compete for Big 12 championships.
He said something like, we won't run the Wishbone but we will throw the ball downfield. He told the players they were good and could win.

Be honest. After the dark age of the 1990's and how ever many coaches we had during that time, with poor results, what were your thoughts?

[TUSooner]

Bob who?

[MeMyself&Me]

Bob who?

^This.

98-99 was a very busy time for me and didn't hardly get to follow football at all then. Even still, I don't know if I'd know who he was since I don't normally keep track of coordinators of other teams in other conferences. When I asked a friend back home (was working out of state) who the next coach was going to be and he said Bob Stoops, "Bob WHO?" were my exact words.

To his credit, this friend insisted it was a good hire though.

[rawlingsHOH]

I was hoping for an offensive-minded coach. Hard not to, watching that '98 team struggle to move the ball, yet play good defense.

I liked Stoops at Florida, but it was a surprise to me.

[freshchris05]

I just remember De'mond Parker being upset about Blake's departure.

[yermom]

I was hoping for an offensive-minded coach. Hard not to, watching that '98 team struggle to move the ball, yet play good defense.

I liked Stoops at Florida, but it was a surprise to me.

yeah, but look at who he brought to run the offense...

Leach recruits Heupel and installs the offense

imagine if we don't have him that first year :eek:

[IslandSooner]

I was not a big fan of Spurriers at the time, and my first thought was that were getting a similar version of the cocky arrogant f..kstick that Florida had.......Strange enough, I have since gained a little respect for Steve, and I kinda like Bob's excessive confidence level....at times

[delhalew]

Between w
1996 and 2000 I was too drunk to find my ****ty apartment in Atlanta. I started to snap back before football season just in time for our championship season.
In the beginning of that season, I destinctly remember thinking "please little baby Jesus, let this guy be the real deal.

[TheUnnamedSooner]

I was hoping for an offensive-minded coach. Hard not to, watching that '98 team struggle to move the ball, yet play good defense.


My thoughts exactly. Several people forget that Rex Ryan was our DC at the time.

I remember Franchione was in the running. Glad we didn't go that route.

[OUmillenium]

Bob who?

Me too. I thought we were getting Franchione or one of the other candidates.

I was a little disappointed when Blake was canned because he had just beat Tech and I was trying to convince myself that things were looking up.

Praise the Lord for Stoops arrival and what it has meant for the program.

[SteelClip49]

Summer of 1999 before my sophomore year in high school he came to my school (Mount Saint Mary) to talk football for the upcoming season and visit our football team (which always sucks) but it was a Catholic thing perhaps so it was nice. I remember that there was 1 police officer and his sidekick who goes everywhere with him and they were in a white Ford Taurus. Now imagine the vehicle and security today with him going anywhere, lol. The auditorium that day was somewhat full...just a nice memory before he started coaching.

[Breadburner]

I have to say I had no clue who he was....I also did not have much confidence in OU being able to hire someone after what we had just went through.....

[Leroy Lizard]

I remember telling Bobby (owner of Walton's BBQ south of Norman) that it was a terrible hire.

[josh09]

Bob who?

Exactly. All I knew was that he came from Florida.

[Sooner24]

Listened to the press conference when they introduced Stoops and then found out a couple of hours later my brother had died.

[OUMallen]

I was in O'COnnell's when I saw the news on TV and while I didn't know much about him at all, I was hopeful.

[soonerboy_odanorth]

I was super excited. A lot of you forget he was considered the #1 coordinator who might be ready for a HC gig in the country, bar none.

And I was quite familiar with Stoops. First because of the success that Kansas State had kicking our asses year after year, then after he moved watching his defense rag-doll the SEC and Florida State (who was THE power at the time). I thought he sounded sharp, tough-minded, and a coach who would demand excellence in every aspect of the program as contrasted with the bumbling "doh-t-doh" pat-his-little-kids-on-the-head slob that John Blake was.

And what sealed it for me being excited for the 1999 season was when he stated later that spring he wasn't too worried about replacing a receiver who notched a grand total of 18 catches the previous year, in reference to Ahmed Kabba's transfer. It really summarized what I perceived to be his attitude, which was, grow up, work your butt off, and be accountable, then good things will happen.

[goingoneight]

My Dad told me when the news broke. I thought it would be at least a 5-year transition for him to fully understand the position of head coach... to fully "get it," you know? But I did feel like he expressed enough confidence and knowledge to be at least an upgrade over Boo, who stuttered and sweated his way through every question and game.

[sooneredaco]

I thought "We'll have a NC in 2000 and win a bunch of CC over the next 10 years". I'm somewhat of a prophet I suppose. So just in case your curious as to what next years season brings, we will go 13-0 and win #8

[rawlingsHOH]

I was super excited. A lot of you forget he was considered the #1 coordinator who might be ready for a HC gig in the country, bar none.

And I was quite familiar with Stoops. First because of the success that Kansas State had kicking our asses year after year, then after he moved watching his defense rag-doll the SEC and Florida State (who was THE power at the time). I thought he sounded sharp, tough-minded, and a coach who would demand excellence in every aspect of the program as contrasted with the bumbling "doh-t-doh" pat-his-little-kids-on-the-head slob that John Blake was.

And what sealed it for me being excited for the 1999 season was when he stated later that spring he wasn't too worried about replacing a receiver who notched a grand total of 18 catches the previous year, in reference to Ahmed Kabba's transfer. It really summarized what I perceived to be his attitude, which was, grow up, work your butt off, and be accountable, then good things will happen.
I wouldn't go that far!

[goingoneight]

I saw a young, Cherokee gunsligner with curly black hair... probably about 9 or 10ish at the time and I immediately said... "that guy's gonna win a Heisman Trophy for Stoops!"

[Pricetag]

When I heard of the hire, I was a bit disappointed. I, too, wanted to see an offensive coach come in.

Channel 2 in Tulsa carried the press conference live, and by the time it was over, I was fired up and fully on board. I practically applauded the TV when it was over.

[Pricetag]

in reference to Ahmed Kabba's transfer
"I think we can find someone to catch eight balls."

Still my favorite Stoops quote out of a ton of great ones.

[SbOrOiNaEnR]

"I think we can find someone to catch eight balls."

Still my favorite Stoops quote out of a ton of great ones.

That's right up there with "We're talking about a guy who threw 10 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. We didn't lose Jason White, here" in reference to the Bomar dismissal.

[boomermagic]

12/1/98 is the date Coach Stoops was introduced as Oklahoma's next great coach. In the next few weeks, Stoops said stuff like, I don't have a 5 year plan but I've got a plan for the offense, the defense, the special teams and we will become exciting to watch and we will compete for Big 12 championships.
He said something like, we won't run the Wishbone but we will throw the ball downfield. He told the players they were good and could win.

Be honest. After the dark age of the 1990's and how ever many coaches we had during that time, with poor results, what were your thoughts?

I was all for him... I was just ready for ANYONE besides blake...

[47straight]

After the successive hires of Blake and Smellsofbourbon, I had given up being able to predict whether it was a good hire or not. Anyone can sound good on paper.

[looch]

I was finishing my first semester of college at OU. My fanaticism with college football was just starting. After going through 5 QB's that season I was eager to see a change.

I was hoping that we could get to maybe a 6 win season the next year. Stoops' experience at KSU gave me more optimism than his Florida experience. As an Oklahoman, I was more familiar with KSU at that time and anything that they were doing up there I would be glad to see happen at OU.

It was funny when he was first hired, he would speak any where and do anything. I remember him speaking at an IFC (fraternity) event. Little did I know that I would get to witness the greatest college football season. Being a 20 year old college student at OU was pretty fun in 1999 and 2000. I'm content knowing that I will never be able to top the (football) experience of traveling to all of those games and watching that team.

[85sooners]

I DRANK A 12 PACK

[pweitkem]

Summer of 1999 before my sophomore year in high school he came to my school (Mount Saint Mary) to talk football for the upcoming season and visit our football team (which always sucks) but it was a Catholic thing perhaps so it was nice. I remember that there was 1 police officer and his sidekick who goes everywhere with him and they were in a white Ford Taurus. Now imagine the vehicle and security today with him going anywhere, lol. The auditorium that day was somewhat full...just a nice memory before he started coaching.

Stopped reading after this... summer 1999 before you sophomore year in high school? Really? How many people on this board were alive when Switzer was coaching?

[TheUnnamedSooner]

Stopped reading after this... summer 1999 before you sophomore year in high school? Really? How many people on this board were alive when Switzer was coaching?

More so than not.

[sooner59]

Stopped reading after this... summer 1999 before you sophomore year in high school? Really? How many people on this board were alive when Switzer was coaching?

Sounds like he is the same age as me. I was alive when Switzer coached here. I was just too young to know much about all of that. However, I had a one piece baby outfit that had "Sooners" on it. My favorite baby pic.

[goingoneight]

Because being a younger Sooner fan means you're not a real one... :rolleyes:

[Blues1]

I thought it was a good deal then and a Better deal Now....!!!!

[SoonerMom2]

When I heard of the hire, I was a bit disappointed. I, too, wanted to see an offensive coach come in.

Channel 2 in Tulsa carried the press conference live, and by the time it was over, I was fired up and fully on board. I practically applauded the TV when it was over.

Press Conference did it for me too. Without Stoops FL would not have won the National Championship under Spurrier because frankly their defense sucked until Stoops came to town.

He was so confident and 'no excuses' not to win.

Hiring Castigleone was an awesome hire and then he hired Stoops and the rest is history.

[jkjsooner]

I was pretty excited. I only knew him as the guy who turned Florida's defense around. I liked the fact that he was saying the right things about execution, working hard, etc.

I didn't expect what we got. I had begun to wonder if we would ever rise back to be among the elite in college football. Afterall, even Switzer was saying how UT and Brown would dominate the Big 12. That said, I did think Stoops was the man to get us back to winning seasons, bowl appearances, and at least occasionally competing for a conference title.


Oh, one other thing, even though I knew Stoops was a great d-coordinator, I didn't know a lot about his brother. I was also a little upset that they didn't keep Rex Ryan around as he was the one who turned around our defense (even if it was slightly gimmicky) and I thought he deserved the chance to stay. Anyway, Mike Stoops turned out pretty good as well. (Rex has also done well for himself.)

[SunnySooner]

I had an 8 week old at the time, so I was a little busy, but I remember being impressed with his resume and demeanor, and thinking he had to be an improvement.

Before my baby was two, he could see the coach on TV, point and yell, "Bob Stoops!!!". So I'd say he was pretty popular in our house by then!:P :D

[stoopified]

I was excited by the cahnge but cautiously optimistic.I had thought Gibbs was going to pan out until we wnt 5-4-2,I believed Smellsof bourbon when he said MOVIES WILL BE MADE AND BOOKS WRITTEN,I was even gullible enoughto think that Boo was the answer.By the time Bob got here I was a little gunshy and was just hoping he could match Gibbs' best and get us back to respectability.

In NO WAY did I see a 2000 National Title coming,I was just hoping to compete for the Big 12 South.

The thing that worried me the most was that we were pinning OUr hopes of Sooner resurrection on a bunch of former K-STATE coaches.The perspective of time allows me to look back and say I should have known what was coming,if these guys can be part of the greatest turnaround in college football history,then turning OU around SHOULD just take a year.

[OU_Sooners75]

Stopped reading after this... summer 1999 before you sophomore year in high school? Really? How many people on this board were alive when Switzer was coaching?


I was alive and well when Switzer was roaming the sidelines.

I was also age enough to know OU was great then. Th year he got canned, I was a freshman in High school.

With that said...big deal how old the kid is. Just because he was a sophomore in HS then, does not make him less a Sooner than you or me.

[Boomer_Sooner_sax]

I was finishing my first semester of college at OU. My fanaticism with college football was just starting. After going through 5 QB's that season I was eager to see a change.

I was hoping that we could get to maybe a 6 win season the next year. Stoops' experience at KSU gave me more optimism than his Florida experience. As an Oklahoman, I was more familiar with KSU at that time and anything that they were doing up there I would be glad to see happen at OU.

It was funny when he was first hired, he would speak any where and do anything. I remember him speaking at an IFC (fraternity) event. Little did I know that I would get to witness the greatest college football season. Being a 20 year old college student at OU was pretty fun in 1999 and 2000. I'm content knowing that I will never be able to top the (football) experience of traveling to all of those games and watching that team.

I was right there with you on that one as I too was finishing my first semester at OU. I remember the board taking a vote to fire Blake and I was so excited, but I was still a relative noob to college football as well and I just remember that I had never heard of him, but like so many others, the press conference sold me. Of course, anyone could have sold me because I was just so glad JB was gone, but little did I realize that we would be back so fast or so long. I think the world of Bob Stoops and I am greatful for everything he has done for OU and the state of Oklahoma. Ten years later, I am glad he is still here and I am glad that even though I knew nothing of him, he came to town and Joe C. gave him a chance.

[Sooner04]

Stopped reading after this... summer 1999 before you sophomore year in high school? Really? How many people on this board were alive when Switzer was coaching?
Is that your son in your avatar? Better steer him away from doing the horns down all the time or he'll surely be on a one-way trip to an adulthood of *********gery.

After all, he has a lot to live up to with you as a father.

[Soonerwake]

Summer of 1999 before my sophomore year in high school he came to my school (Mount Saint Mary) to talk football for the upcoming season and visit our football team (which always sucks) but it was a Catholic thing perhaps so it was nice. I remember that there was 1 police officer and his sidekick who goes everywhere with him and they were in a white Ford Taurus. Now imagine the vehicle and security today with him going anywhere, lol. The auditorium that day was somewhat full...just a nice memory before he started coaching.

I was there. He introdudced himself to my friend and me outside the school. I remember thinking, "who is Bob Stoops?" Best quote was, when asked how does he expect to do against the big bad Notre Dame, his reponse, "We expect to win. What else should we expect?" Classic Stoops confidence..

Also, his twins had just been born a few days before. He did look a little tired.

And, easy on the MSM football team... We were good 85 to 86. :D

[GrapevineSooner]

To be honest, you could have hired just about any young assistant coach from another big name program, and I would have been thrilled at the fact that at least there was a little hope to get OU football back to the semi-competitive days under Gibbs.

And I imagine that the vast majority of Sooner fans felt the same way after the Schnelly and Blake years. Remember how excited we were to be going to the Independence Bowl on New Year's Eve in 1999?

Even after the successful 1999 campaign, I seriously doubt anybody thought this same team would be playing for the 7th National Title in school history just 367 days later.

Suffice to say, competing for Big 12 Titles and National Titles was such a pipe dream back then.

And even though we knew which program Stoops came from, we only knew the persona of the Old Ball Coach and the fact that his team took on that persona. And it was the offense that got all the headlines for the Gators back then.

I don't think anybody gave much thought to how good a coach Stoops was in coaching that defense. And even during the 1999 and 2000 seasons, it was the Sooners' offense under Mike Leach that garnered all the headlines.

It wasn't until the defense put the vice grips on the Seminoles when we appreciated just how good a defensive coach Stoops was.

[OUmillenium]

I was there. He introdudced himself to my friend and me outside the school. I remember thinking, "who is Bob Stoops?" Best quote was, when asked how does he expect to do against the big bad Notre Dame, his reponse, "We expect to win. What else should we expect?" Classic Stoops confidence..

Also, his twins had just been born a few days before. He did look a little tired.

And, easy on the MSM football team... We were good 85 to 86. :D

I was there for the MSM basketball meltdown to Carnegie in 88. 20 seconds left, MSM up by 7, then lose by 1. No need to inbound after a made bucket with less than 5 secs left.

[Soonerwake]

I was there for the MSM basketball meltdown to Carnegie in 88. 20 seconds left, MSM up by 7, then lose by 1. No need to inbound after a made bucket with less than 5 secs left.

That was a tough one... Thank goodness I had graduated the year before.

[BFS]

I was still pissed we let texaz hire mack the year before...little did I know what was about to take place!

[pweitkem]

Is that your son in your avatar? Better steer him away from doing the horns down all the time or he'll surely be on a one-way trip to an adulthood of *********gery.

After all, he has a lot to live up to with you as a father.

Nope, no kids... old avatar, don't care to take the time to change it. Was just a funny kid at the Fair one year. I'll make sure to update it... will you think I'm cool if I do?

[pweitkem]

There Sooner04, I updated my avatar... we're both Wayman Tisdale buddies. We should get together off campus tonight and point at guys we don't think are as cool as us and tell them how stupid they are.
Awesome!