There should have been a crimson carpet rolled out at Charles Schwab Field Omaha for all the Oklahoma legends and current coaches that made the trip from Norman to watch the Sooners in their opening game of the Men's College World Series on Saturday. And that support obviously meant a lot to baseball coach Skip Johnson and likely even a reason why he's stayed in Norman despite other programs trying to lure him away.
Former football coaches Bob Stoops and Barry Switzer, men's basketball coach Porter Moser, and women's basketball coach Jennie Baranczyk, as well as members of the 2022 OU baseball team that reached the championship series in the Sooners' last trip to the MCWS, were there to witness these 2026 Sooners dominate No. 7 national seed Alabama 9-0 in the first round.
If not for hosting their final weekend of official visits back in Norman, current football coach Brent Venables likely would have been in Omaha, too. OU's football general manager Jim Nagy is a frequent visitor to Kimrey Family Stadium and a big supporter of Johnson's program on social media.
Skip Johnson praises Sooners' family culture that included advice from Bob Stoops
"It was huge. It was big," Johnson said during Sunday's practice. "I mean, seeing Barry Switzer and Bob and Jennie there was huge -- Porter. All those guys, they pull for you.
"I've always said this, when I came to work here 10 years ago, it's like a family-owned business. And that's the way (former athletic director) Joe Castiglione made it."
Former OU football coaches Bob Stoops and Barry Switzer on the big screen.
— George Stoia III (@GeorgeStoia) June 13, 2026
It’s all #Sooners here in Omaha. pic.twitter.com/e1cvmpMIi7
When the Sooners punched their ticket to the MCWS with a sweep of No. 15 national seed Kansas in the Lawrence Super Regional, multiple members of OU's softball team were there for the moment, including star freshman Kendall Wells. Kasidi Pickering even made the trip knowing she'd be hopping in the transfer portal just a few days later.
No OU fan really thought much about the support in Lawrence or Omaha, though. It's the type of solidarity that's become the norm throughout Sooner Nation, even under new AD Roger Denny. Had it been Venables' Sooners making the magical run, or even Stoops years ago, the same type of support still would have been there.
Even a decade after leading the Sooners (other than that one bowl game in 2021), Stoops isn't only still cheering for his former employer, but even making road trips and giving out advice, perfectly encapsulating the OU family Johnson described.
"Bob gave me some advice," Johnson said. "He said, 'Just stay out of their way,' with another explicit in there. Then I said, 'Yes, sir.' So it's always good."
"He said, just stay out of their way with another explicit in there."
— Evan Kamikow (@emkamikow) June 14, 2026
Asked Skip Johnson on what it means to get support from other OU coaches like Porter Moser, Bob Stoops, and more. #BoomerSooner @NEWS9
The advice he got from Stoops is hilarious 😂 pic.twitter.com/JDjEzboEc4
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