Stormin in Norman
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Bob Stoops Is a Players’ Coach, And Other Top Coaches Say He’s the Best

By Chip Rouse

Sep 12, 2015; Knoxville, TN, USA; Oklahoma Sooners head coach Bob Stoops celebrates with safety Steven Parker (10) after defeating the Tennessee Volunteers in double overtime at Neyland Stadium. Oklahoma won 31-24. Mandatory Credit: Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 12, 2015; Knoxville, TN, USA; Oklahoma Sooners head coach Bob Stoops celebrates with safety Steven Parker (10) after defeating the Tennessee Volunteers in double overtime at Neyland Stadium. Oklahoma won 31-24. Mandatory Credit: Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports /
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For all the criticism he gets for no longer living up to the mantra “Big Game Bob,” Bob Stoops remains one of the very best at what he does, and that’s recruit and develop top talent and win football games.

Nov 28, 2015; Stillwater, OK, USA; Oklahoma Sooners head coach Bob Stoops reacts as he is dunked by teammates with the Gatorade cooler in the closing seconds of the game against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Boone Pickens Stadium. The Sooners defeated the Cowboys 58-23. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 28, 2015; Stillwater, OK, USA; Oklahoma Sooners head coach Bob Stoops reacts as he is dunked by teammates with the Gatorade cooler in the closing seconds of the game against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Boone Pickens Stadium. The Sooners defeated the Cowboys 58-23. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /

A 17-season, head-coaching veteran, the longest active continuous run of any head man in the FBS (Football Bowl Championship) ranks, Stoops’ 179 victories at Oklahoma are the most of any school from a Power Five conference during the time he has been on the sidelines at OU.

His list of accomplishments go on and on, including nine conference championships, a national championship and runner-up three other times and 11 seasons with 11-or-more wins over the past 17 college campaigns. Stoops, now the winningest Sooner head coach in the school’s illustrious football history, reached 100 career wins faster than any other coach in college football history, and he is fast approaching the double century mark.

So, tell me, what is not to like about the no-nonsense, self-effacing head coach of the Sooners who, since arriving in Norman, has returned the Oklahoma football brand to the top tier of the college football landscape? It is absolutely baffling to me why so many of the Sooner faithful would just as soon run him out of town, without any forethought of what would come after.

Well, here is something else for all of you who count yourself as one of the anti-Stoops crusaders to chew on: According to a recent poll conducted by ESPN.com, Bob Stoops was the first choice of several of the top coaches in the college game today of whom they would like their son to play for if he was an elite prospect and could play for any coach in America other than themselves.

Stoops received the most votes of the coaches who participated in the poll from Power Five conferences (SEC, Big Ten, Pac-12, Big 12 and ACC). The Oklahoma head coach received 14 percent of the vote from the Power Five coaches to lead the voting from those leagues.

"“How can you not be impressed with his sustained success and the culture he creates within his program,” said one of the top coaches who voted for Stoops but asked that his comments remain anonymous. “The kids that come out of his program are equipped to succeed in whatever they do in life.”"

A total of 98 FBS coaches participated in the poll. Mark Richt, formerly of Georgia but now the head coach at Miami (Fla.), Mark Dantonio of Michigan State and David Shaw of Stanford also finished high in the voting.

A total of 44 head coaches received votes in the poll.

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