You know what really grinds my gears?

[OUstud]

How the media (specifically, ESPN) seems to think OU isn't a destination job. On ESPN Insider, they have a rundown of candidates for the UF job. Among them is Stoops, with this blurb:

Bob Stoops, Oklahoma: There was talk last year that this former Gators DC might be ready to move on.

Move on? To what, a better job? There is no better job in college football than OU. There are equally good jobs (Texas, Ohio State, even Florida). And he's been here for over a decade, during which UF has gone through 3 coaching changes (4 speculations, if you count last year). You never hear that Jim Tressel is ready to move on. You never heard Urban Meyer was ready to move on (to another job). I bet you will never hear that Nick Saban, or Gene Chizik, or even Chip Kelly is ready to move on. Hell, you never hear that Gary Pinkel is ready to move on, and Mizzou still isn't a great job. So, ESPN, why is Stoops itching so badly to leave Norman? "Moving on" is something Dan Mullen of Mississippi State will eventually do, whether it's this year or in 3 years. Not Stoops. If he really wants the Florida job, he'll take it, but don't act like it's a step up from some sort of rebuilding project.

[OUHOMER]

It's only because Bob once coached there. besides if it come from espin dont listen to it.

[yermom]

they must be confusing us with OSU again

[BoulderSooner79]

... forgetting to press the clutch?

[Ground_Attack]

so what if Bob once coached there. He spend 3 years there as an assistant. He's from Ohio and went to school in Iowa. Its not like he has deep running roots there. Lots of coaches have coached a lots of different schools. Bob has as many national titles here as there, he has been here 4 times longer, and this job is at least on par with Florida. the only things in favor of FL in my opinion are the weather and the lack of an income tax. the conference is more difficult and you have to live around Yankee snowbirds all year.

[VA Sooner]

Agreed.

Tired of hearing the speculation of Bob looking at other jobs. Then... memory serves correctly and he was the defensive coordinator at Florida which gives the AD there a glimmer of hope that he can fill the shoes of an elite coach with another elite coach.

Can't see him moving there with the one exception of the weather. He does own a beachhouse there still which makes me a little nervous.

But he has built an empire at OU and with only 2 bad (7-5, 8-4... bad in the eyes of Sooners) seasons since he started. He'd be foolish to walk away from this and take on another college football gig. Joe Castiglione treats him well and David Boren reveres him as a coach and his work done at OU.

He stays at OU until he's ready to retire from football all together. He maintains a great balance between work and family.

[BigTip]

I heard a rumor that Joe Paterno is ready to "move on". Maybe he'll "jump" at the chance to move to Florida.

Sounds stupid right? That's how the original poster and I feel about how stupid it sounds about Stoops.

Speaking of Paterno, I think this is one of the reasons that Bob won't ever leave, the legacy thing. Like getting a building named after you. That sort of thing appeals to people. Like when people mention "Bud Wilkinson" they almost say it with reverence. Stoops is not that many years or successes away from entering that stratosphere.

[boomerinhou]

If Florida is such a great dream job, why did Spurrier leave? After the NFL, why didn't he go back?

Why is Meyer leaving now? You can bet he'll also be back. Will it be at Florida? Probably not.

So, why is Florida the hot, "it" coaching job??

:pop:

[yermom]

I heard a rumor that Joe Paterno is ready to "move on". Maybe he'll "jump" at the chance to move to Florida.

Sounds stupid right? That's how the original poster and I feel about how stupid it sounds about Stoops.

Speaking of Paterno, I think this is one of the reasons that Bob won't ever leave, the legacy thing. Like getting a building named after you. That sort of thing appeals to people. Like when people mention "Bud Wilkinson" they almost say it with reverence. Stoops is not that many years or successes away from entering that stratosphere.

if Stoops retired tomorrow, he'd pretty much be in that camp

[agoo758]

Ask the Ol' Ball coach himself. He went from being a legend at Florida to an ill-faited experiment in the NFL into a seemingly never ending rebuilding stage at South Caroline.

And who knows? Maybe Spurrier doesn't even regret it, but this is the type of situaion you can end up in if you leave a good thing that you got. That is why I would be suprised to see Peterson or Patterson leave in the near future.

[yermom]

well, TCU is in a big boy league now

Boise is still going to have to fight a little harder to get there every year, but Petersen can still probably get Boise State to the next level if he stays a while

[mdklatt]

It's only because Bob once coached there. besides if it come from espin dont listen to it.

I heard Stoops changed planes in Pittsburgh one time and is interested in the opening there.

[rainiersooner]

I think USC is a better job. You get paid well. You can recruit well. The fan only pays attention if you win, and the rest of the city leaves you alone. The program sucks monkey balls and is evil incarnate, but it's got to be a lot less pressure than coaching Alabama, for example.

[rainiersooner]

I heard Stoops changed planes in Pittsburgh one time and is interested in the opening there.

I heard Stoops was in New York this week and is planning on running for mayor.

[soonercastor]

Florida is not on the same level as Oklahoma when it comes to college football. Their success is relatively recent (nineties and up).

[rainiersooner]

Florida is not on the same level as Oklahoma when it comes to college football. Their success is relatively recent (nineties and up).

Sure, but Notre Dame is a more historically successful program than Florida...I would think that nonetheless, Florida is a more attractive job.

[BajaOklahoma]

well, TCU is in a big boy league now

I'm not quite ready to put them there yet.
Let's get a few more seasons of relevancy, more than one sold out game a year, and a bigger stadium (they lose some seats, but gain boxes with the current renovation).
I consider them on the big boy watch list.

[yermom]

i mean the Big East. they don't have to impress anyone anymore to make a BCS game, just win their conference

[budbarrybob]

I heard Stoops was running for blackwell middle school vice pres...

[PLaw]

How the media (specifically, ESPN) seems to think OU isn't a destination job. On ESPN Insider, they have a rundown of candidates for the UF job. Among them is Stoops, with this blurb:

Bob Stoops, Oklahoma: There was talk last year that this former Gators DC might be ready to move on.

Move on? To what, a better job? There is no better job in college football than OU. There are equally good jobs (Texas, Ohio State, even Florida). And he's been here for over a decade, during which UF has gone through 3 coaching changes (4 speculations, if you count last year). You never hear that Jim Tressel is ready to move on. You never heard Urban Meyer was ready to move on (to another job). I bet you will never hear that Nick Saban, or Gene Chizik, or even Chip Kelly is ready to move on. Hell, you never hear that Gary Pinkel is ready to move on, and Mizzou still isn't a great job. So, ESPN, why is Stoops itching so badly to leave Norman? "Moving on" is something Dan Mullen of Mississippi State will eventually do, whether it's this year or in 3 years. Not Stoops. If he really wants the Florida job, he'll take it, but don't act like it's a step up from some sort of rebuilding project.

Just like in all of the conference alignment talks - statements like this are largely driven by TV sets and the viewing audience. ESPN is based in CT and promotes the same East Coast media bias that we have endured for decades.

BOOMER

[MeMyself&Me]

It's only because Bob once coached there.

They were doing this last year with Notre Dame. Don't remember Bob ever coaching there before.


Honest question here. Has any OU head coach ever left for another college head coaching gig?

I can only think back to Switzer and I know Switzer, Gibbs, Schnelly, and Blake didn't.

[Harry Beanbag]

They were doing this last year with Notre Dame. Don't remember Bob ever coaching there before.


Honest question here. Has any OU head coach ever left for another college head coaching gig?

I can only think back to Switzer and I know Switzer, Gibbs, Schnelly, and Blake didn't.


Jim Tatum left for Maryland after one year. OU then promoted an assistant named Bud Wilkinson to head coach.

[MeMyself&Me]

Jim Tatum left for Maryland after one year. OU then promoted an assistant named Bud Wilkinson to head coach.

Ahhh yes! I knew that too but forgot.

So you have to go back to before OU won any of their 7 national titles to find a coach who left for another job. And it should be noted too that this coach was only here for, what, 1 or 2 years so there was little to tie him here AND I think it's likely he would have known that Bud was the guy that was wanted here. Based on what I've read, that was the case.

[bluedogok]

The only coach that I can think of since the Tatum era that actually left for another job was Chuck Fairbanks who left for the New England Patriots Head Coaching job.

[bigfatjerk]

The only coach that I can think of since the Tatum era that actually left for another job was Chuck Fairbanks who left for the New England Patriots Head Coaching job.

In the 30s OU's coach that took them to their first Bowl game was Tom Stidham. He left OU for what he thought was a better job in Marquette after 4 solid seasons at OU of 27-8. Well at Marquette which was probably more prestigious at the time, he ended up with a losing record(20-22)

[Boomer_Sooner_sax]

I hear Bob is in the running to be the head of NASA since he coached in the 2002 Big XII Championship game in Houston!

[ashley]

Florida is not on the same level as Oklahoma when it comes to college football. Their success is relatively recent (nineties and up).

Recent is what counts.

[Tulsa_Fireman]

Wrong.

FIRE ROBERT SLOOP

[Sooner91ATL]

Media make money by drawing viewers and generating hype so people talk about them and keep them promoted.

They make up and augment stories in order to capture viewers and readers. They claim objectivity and then give themselves awards declaring how great they are each year.

There are hundreds of thousands of Sooner fans in Oklahoma and Texas, as well as millions nationwide who have an interest in Florida or Oklahoma football. Generating rumors allows them to pull great interest and viewers/readers.

They would say Mack Brown was the head coach if they knew that Florida fans wouldn't die laughing. Then every TV set from El Paso to Key West would be on fire.

[bigfatjerk]

You want to be back like it was under Blake and Gibbs where nobody wanted our head coach or their assistants? It never sucks when your coaches are wanted.

[tulsaoilerfan]

If Florida is such a great dream job, why did Spurrier leave? After the NFL, why didn't he go back?

Why is Meyer leaving now? You can bet he'll also be back. Will it be at Florida? Probably not.

So, why is Florida the hot, "it" coaching job??

:pop:

Cause its in the SEC; keep up dammit ;)

[CarolinaSoonerFan]

Agreed.

Tired of hearing the speculation of Bob looking at other jobs. Then... memory serves correctly and he was the defensive coordinator at Florida which gives the AD there a glimmer of hope that he can fill the shoes of an elite coach with another elite coach.

Can't see him moving there with the one exception of the weather. He does own a beachhouse there still which makes me a little nervous.

But he has built an empire at OU and with only 2 bad (7-5, 8-4... bad in the eyes of Sooners) seasons since he started. He'd be foolish to walk away from this and take on another college football gig. Joe Castiglione treats him well and David Boren reveres him as a coach and his work done at OU.

He stays at OU until he's ready to retire from football all together. He maintains a great balance between work and family.

If anything him having the beach house there makes me feel even more confident that he won't leave. It a great place to visit kind of thing, so he can keep the vacation home at the beach and keep his real home in Norman where he belongs!