Known as “Big Game Bob” early in his 18-year Oklahoma coaching reign for his penchant for winning big games against big teams, Bob Stoops ended up winning a lot of big games, and then some, on his way to a program-best 190 victories overall.
Stoops’ career resume at Oklahoma reads like a wish list for any football coach at any level: one national championship, 10 Big 12 championships, 18 consecutive postseason bowl appearances and an incredible 101-9 record at home before 110 consecutive sellouts at 83,000-plus Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium.
Before Stoops arrived in Norman, the Sooners had gone 12-22 in the three previous seasons under former Oklahoma player John Blake and had not been to a postseason bowl in four seasons. In the first five seasons under Stoops’ leadership, Oklahoma produced a combined record of 55-11, including five consecutive bowl games.
Without question, there were plenty of big wins in the 222 months and 238 games that Stoops was on the job in Norman. None were bigger than the win over Florida State for the national championship in Stoops’ second season (2000) as a head coach.
We’ve selected six other signature Sooner wins in Bob Stoops’ nearly two decades as head coach at Oklahoma to highlight.