Oklahoma football: Why Bob Stoops won’t return to coach Ohio State

In the past few days both Bleacher Report and the USA Today have come out with speculative articles about Bob Stoops returning to the sidelines in a new role with the Buckeyes.

It’s an interesting idea and certainly good conversation fodder as we all count down the days to the start of  a new college football season. However, in the end it is just a case of national media is doing what it does best by connecting dots that don’t exist.

The Ohio connection is overblown

Yes, Stoops has Ohio roots. He grew up in Youngstown where his dad was a high school football coach. Those ties run deep for sure, but aren’t as big a factor as they are made up to be. Stoops doesn’t even tell people he is from Ohio when asked.

“I’m one of you. I’m an Oklahoman,” Stoops told the crowd during his statue dedication this past April in Norman, according to Soonersports.com. “I used to say when people asked where I was from, ‘I’m from Youngstown, Ohio.’ Not anymore. I’ve been here longer than anywhere in my life – 19 years. I’m an Oklahoman right now — forever. We’ll always be here.”

Stoops doesn’t appear to want to coach again

Yes, Stoops seemed a little restless at times in interviews during the season, but he also appeared to be content with his decision to walk away from coaching after leading the Sooners for 18 years.

“It’s still too different and too strange,” Stoops said to Oklahoma DieHards about retirement. “It doesn’t mean it’s wrong. I’m perfectly content with my decision. It’s too early to enjoy it.”

Though his decision came abruptly in the summer of 2017, it didn’t come without thought. Stoops had been looking to get out of the profession and experience parts of life he was always too busy to enjoy. He never wanted to spend all of his life coaching.

“He didn’t want to go from the sidelines to the graveyard,” former Florida coach Steve Spurrier said to ESPN about Stoops. “He pretty much was able to go out on top.”

Professional golfer?

Stoops’ current position at Oklahoma is Special Assistant to the Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletic Programs and Director of Athletics.

It is a vague job title for a vague position. According to the Tulsa World, Stoops makes a cool $325,000 to schmooze and play golf with some boosters and help with marketing and public relations.

Though Stoops certainly approaches his new position with the same work ethic that helped lead the Sooners to 10 Big 12 titles during his tenure as head coach, it is far less demanding of his time than his previous spot.

Stoops: The Next Generation

Having an office on campus in Norman gives Stoops a chance to check in with his twin sons, Drake and Isaac, both walk-ons with the OU football team. Both had scholarship offers, but decided to walk on at Oklahoma and continue the Stoops legacy at the University.

Bob Stoops got to watch his sons’ high school games during their senior year, something that was often sacrificed when coaching took up so much of his time. Now he’ll get to see them come up through the same program he helped build. That’s something he would surely like to do in person.

The decision to return to coaching would be Stoops’ alone and none of us are in his head, but all signs seem to point in the same direction.