Stoops returning in interim role
Hours later and some might still be reeling in shock about the news of Lincoln Riley leaving Oklahoma to be the head coach at USC, but the Sooners will have a solution for a temporary stop-gap.
A very familiar name is going return to his post as former coach Bob Stoops will be the acting coach for OU’s bowl game, it was announced Sunday night.
“First and foremost, I’m a program guy and whatever I can do to help OU and to support the players, of course I’m glad to do it,” said Stoops in a press release. “I’ll do everything I can to help them finish the season in a strong and successful way and I look forward to that.
“Lincoln did a great job in his five years as head coach here and I appreciate all he did for this program. I’ll always appreciate the close friendship we’ve had and will continue to have. I wish the best for him, Caitlin and their family.”
Stoops was with the team during the meeting when Riley told the players he would no longer be their head coach.
Stoops, of course, coached OU from 1999-2016, retiring before the 2017 season and handing the job over to Riley. Although he hasn’t been in a coaching capacity since, Stoops has been incredibly connected to the program. He coached OU to its last national championship back in the 2000 season.
The Sooners regular season came to an end in a 37-33 loss to Bedlam rival Oklahoma State on Saturday night. At 10-2 overall and 7-2 in the Big 12, it’s the first time since 2014 the Sooners will not win the Big 12 championship.
“I’d like to thank Coach Riley for all he has done to help our football program since he arrived in Norman in 2015,” athletic director Joe Castiglione said. “The leadership and ingenuity he displayed during his two years as offensive coordinator made our decision to promote him to head coach when Bob Stoops retired a no-brainer, and he certainly lived up to expectations in his five years as head coach.
“Oklahoma is one of the premier football programs and jobs in the country. Our storied history, annual pursuit of conference and national championships, tremendous fan support, beautiful facilities and quality of life combine to make this an incredible place to recruit to and coach, and we have begun the search for our next great leader.”
Under Riley, OU won four consecutive Big 12 conference championships as head coach and made it to the college football playoff three times.
“My time at OU has included some of the most special years of my life and my family’s lives,” said Riley, who was named USC’s head coach in an official capacity Sunday evening. “I had so many great memories and made so many great friends that we’ll take with us forever. A lot of things that we were a part of here, I’m incredibly proud of — the success on the field, the success off the field, the players. Proud of the staff. Proud of the way we worked so well with the university and our administration. We’ve been able to have two phenomenal leaders in President Harroz and Joe Castiglione, and they have been everything I could ever ask for in this role and more.
“Leaving OU was probably the most difficult decision of my life. OU is one of the best college football programs in the country, and it has been forever. That’s not going to change. It’s not going to change in the SEC, it’s not going to change with another head coach. It’s stood the test of time and it’s going to continue to do so. This was a personal decision solely based on my willingness to go take on a new challenge, and I felt like it was the right opportunity for me and my family to do that.
Sources confirm neither the staff nor the players had any idea Riley was about to leave until news started leaking out late Sunday morning.
As big of a shock as it was when Stoops retired, Riley leaving less than 24 hours after a game probably tops it. Stoops will do what he can to try to hold down the fort as athletic director Joe Castiglione and the University look to find the next head coach.
The message is a clear one from president Joe Harroz to Castiglione to Stoops. No one person is bigger than the program. OU will always be OU.
“When we met with the team today, I communicated to our players that our program is about them,” Castiglione said. “It will always be bigger than any one person. And just as it’s always been, Oklahoma football is positioned for greatness.”