Post by Bulldada on Nov 29, 2003 15:28:12 GMT -5
Mike Stoops is leaving the Sooners. 
Mike Stoops, the younger brother of Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops, will take over Arizona's problem-plagued football team, a source told The Associated Press.
The younger Stoops, the top-ranked Sooners' co-defensive coordinator, inherits a team that went 2-10 and finished last in the Pac-10 for the first time.
John Mackovic was fired as coach in September after the Wildcats won their opener and then lost four straight. Defensive coordinator Mike Hankwitz took over as interim coach and was 1-6 the rest of the way.
Stoops' hiring was to be announced Saturday afternoon, according to the source close to the program, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. The university wouldn't comment before the school's news conference.
Stoops, 41, has coached under his brother since 1999. He is the associate head coach for the No. 1 Sooners and shares defensive coordinator duties with Brent Venables, who left Kansas State the same time as Mike Stoops to join Oklahoma's staff.
Venables coaches the defense from the booth, and Stoops is on the field.
The Wildcats finished their worst season in 46 years with a 28-7 loss to Arizona State on Friday. Arizona (2-10, 1-7 Pac-10) had a school-record eight-game losing streak.
Stoops was a two-time all-Big Ten defensive back at Iowa in 1983-84. He played for the Chicago Bears and Pittsburgh Gladiators of the Arena League before becoming a graduate assistant coach at Iowa in 1986.
He was hired as a Kansas State assistant in 1992, rising to assistant head coach and defensive coordinator before leaving for Oklahoma.
Others who were considered for the Wildcats job: Hankwitz, Southern California offensive coordinator Norm Chow, Cincinnati Bengals assistant Ricky Hunley and New York Giants defensive coordinator Johnnie Lynn.
Good Luck Mike!!
Mike Stoops, the younger brother of Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops, will take over Arizona's problem-plagued football team, a source told The Associated Press.
The younger Stoops, the top-ranked Sooners' co-defensive coordinator, inherits a team that went 2-10 and finished last in the Pac-10 for the first time.
John Mackovic was fired as coach in September after the Wildcats won their opener and then lost four straight. Defensive coordinator Mike Hankwitz took over as interim coach and was 1-6 the rest of the way.
Stoops' hiring was to be announced Saturday afternoon, according to the source close to the program, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. The university wouldn't comment before the school's news conference.
Stoops, 41, has coached under his brother since 1999. He is the associate head coach for the No. 1 Sooners and shares defensive coordinator duties with Brent Venables, who left Kansas State the same time as Mike Stoops to join Oklahoma's staff.
Venables coaches the defense from the booth, and Stoops is on the field.
The Wildcats finished their worst season in 46 years with a 28-7 loss to Arizona State on Friday. Arizona (2-10, 1-7 Pac-10) had a school-record eight-game losing streak.
Stoops was a two-time all-Big Ten defensive back at Iowa in 1983-84. He played for the Chicago Bears and Pittsburgh Gladiators of the Arena League before becoming a graduate assistant coach at Iowa in 1986.
He was hired as a Kansas State assistant in 1992, rising to assistant head coach and defensive coordinator before leaving for Oklahoma.
Others who were considered for the Wildcats job: Hankwitz, Southern California offensive coordinator Norm Chow, Cincinnati Bengals assistant Ricky Hunley and New York Giants defensive coordinator Johnnie Lynn.
Good Luck Mike!!
