Tribune News Services
Although the Notre Dame football job now is officially open with the firing today of coach Charlie Weis, Oklahoma's Bob Stoops remains adamant that he's not going anywhere.
"I fully intend to be at Oklahoma, hopefully, for a good while," Stoops said today. ... What I'm saying is I'm going to be at Oklahoma next year. I can't be in two places at once."
Stoops passed on the chance to say why he preferred to coach at Oklahoma over Notre Dame.
"I'm not favoring anything over anything else," Stoops said. "What I'm saying is I couldn't be more happy and pleased with what we're doing here. And again, I'm not confirming or denying anything about Notre Dame or any other job. My point is this is what I love doing right now."
Although the Notre Dame football job now is officially open with the firing today of coach Charlie Weis, Oklahoma's Bob Stoops remains adamant that he's not going anywhere.
"I fully intend to be at Oklahoma, hopefully, for a good while," Stoops said today. ... What I'm saying is I'm going to be at Oklahoma next year. I can't be in two places at once."
Stoops passed on the chance to say why he preferred to coach at Oklahoma over Notre Dame.
"I'm not favoring anything over anything else," Stoops said. "What I'm saying is I couldn't be more happy and pleased with what we're doing here. And again, I'm not confirming or denying anything about Notre Dame or any other job. My point is this is what I love doing right now."
Didn't HEAR it this time from Stoops. Typo.
Steve Lobber: So you know what a Stoops' denial sounds (reads)like, here it is. Re: Florida opening in 2004. "I have great respect for the people at Florida and a lot of good memories of my time there, but to end the speculation that is ongoing, I want to make it clear that I have no interest in the position that is currently available there (Florida)." THAT is a denial. Didn't here it this time from Stoops in regard to the Notre Dame opening. Maybe you did. And in regard to Oklahoma. Yes, their games are televised regionally. They recruit almost exclusively in Texas. And guess what team always has the inside track in that recruiting ground? Texas. Oklahoma is number two in its own division of the Big 12. It doesn't have the capability of national exposure or recruiting to the degree of Notre Dame. Just a fact. ND is a sleeping giant.
Cowboy - you are so far off. The way Bob Stoops answered the question about the recent rumor is the same manner is responded to all the previous rumors. Every one of Oklahoma's games have been televised for, at least, the past 4 years. Perhaps not nationally every week, but into the areas that Oklahoma recruit. BTW, it was ND that backed out of a scheduled home/home deal earlier this decade and just recently, finally agreed to honor their original deal. If I was ND, I too would be scared to go into Norman to play OU. Maybe ND should contemplate Kregthorpe, he is now available. But, knowing the ND fans and media, they still believe Bob Stoops, Will Muschamp, Urban Meyer, Les Miles, Jim Harbaugh, and Pete Carrol are all fighting over who gets to be the HC at ND! After all, being the Head Coach at ND IS the best job in the world (too bad Boise State HC is considered better than ND)
Here are a couple of things to think about. Notre Dame has to improve its program, and fast, or it probably loses the exclusive nationwide NBC contract in 2015. And that is major dinero. It could be the last rodeo for ND to stay big time. (I know a lot of you think they already are lost. But you are wrong.) Electronic media now controls college athletics. Unlike any other school, ND has the platform. They can go anywhere in the country and draw a crowd of 50K+. They played Washington State at the Alamodome in San Antonio and drew 53K+. San Antonio!! Notre Dame needs to make the very best pick it can. This could possibly be the last best chance. Meanwhile, Oklahoma is in the Big 12. There are rumblings of discontent once again. Nebraska wants to reconfigure football scheduling. That won't make the Texas schools happy. Keep in mind, this was the amalgamation of two conferences-i.e. Big Eight and SWC. Who knows where that could lead.
How and why did the Chicago sportswriters come up with
Stoops for Notre Dame? Stoops has at no point in his
ten years as a head coach had any interest in another
college job. And, if he had, his wife would have nixed it.
There's not enough money in the world for him to go to
South Bend.
ND would do good to find an assistant from a successful program and develop a team that would compete in its sphere. Having lived in Indiana and now in Oklahoma, the people here in Oklahoma take football much more serious that Indiana takes ND. ND program started on the downhill slope when Lou Holtz was hired! What a farce for a coach. It will take several years even with the right person at the helm for ND to become an serious threat to anyone.
Why would Stoops leave the certainty O-U for anything "but" at Notre Dame? He'll likely wait a year or two for Joe Pa to hang 'em up at Penn State. Happy Valley is closer to Youngstown than South Bend.
Enjoy the semantics. Stoops is even refusing to acknowledge some of the questions in the interview. And correcting reporters on what he did and didn't say. A careful dance here. Meanwhile, Castiliogne, Oklahoma Athletic Director, has to be worried about offending Notre Dame. Wants to retain the future two-game football series with the Irish. Yeah, Notre Dame is a "dead program", but everyone wants the electronic media exposure of playing them.
That doesn't sound like he's staying at Oklahoma.