Steve Spurrier not 'shocked' by Bob Stoops retiring, Mack Brown, Tom Herman, SEC coaches react
The college football world reacted Wednesday when Bob Stoops announced he was retiring as coach of the Oklahoma Sooners.
Stoops, 56, collected the 2000 national title over Florida State and won 10 Big 12 titles, including the last two, as the Sooners' coach over the past 18 years.
To understand the magnitude of the announce, one only need look at the number of "statements" released from college coaches across the country.
"Coach Stoops' record of success and his legacy at Oklahoma are well-documented and firmly established," Texas coach Tom Herman said. "I was a young graduate assistant at Texas when he took over at Oklahoma. At the time, they were struggling, and he changed that in a hurry. He was driven, passionate and determined to build something great, and he did so at an extremely high level for a long, long time.
"He'll be sorely missed at Oklahoma, in the Big 12 and on the landscape of college football."
Even his players were surprised by the announcement.
"Just taken aback, shocked," Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield said. "Coach Stoops, when I was growing up, was always the face of Oklahoma football. To see him stepping down was a shock to all of us."
Texas, a huge rival to the Sooners, obviously, threw nothing but respect at Stoops.
"Bob did a tremendous job turning things around at Oklahoma and putting their program back in national prominence. Our rivalry game became a focal point of college football every year and was great for both schools, the Big 12 and college football as a whole," former Texas coach Mack Brown said in a statement. "He leaves Oklahoma with a long track record of success and will be remembered as a Sooner legend. I wish him the best."
Former Florida coach Steve Spurrier, who hired Bob Stoops as the Gators' defensive coordinator in 1996, also issued a statement.
"It was a surprise but not a complete shock," Spurrier said. "Bobby always indicated he wasn't going to coach forever. There is life after coaching, and once he decided the time was right, he was going to move on. He wanted to go out at the right time and he feels good about where the program is right now.
"He has left a good team for Lincoln Riley and the Oklahoma program."
Kentucky coach Mark Stoops took to Twitter to say his brother's resume speaks for itself.
"Bob truly represents what is good about college football and the success of his career speaks for itself. What he means to me as a brother and a coach is immeasurable. I wish Bob, Carol and the kids the very best as he moves into the next phase of his life."
Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin, who worked under Stoops at Oklahoma from 2003-07, looks to Stoops as a mentor.
"Bob is a tremendous mentor to so many players and coaches, including myself," he said per 247 Sports. "Not only is he a great mentor to me, but he and his wife, Carol, have been great friends to Char and I for many years. His success and longevity speak for themselves. He will be a success in whatever he pursues. We wish Bob and his family the very best."
The 56-year-old Stoops was the longest-tenured active coach in major college football, taking the job at Oklahoma a day before Kirk Ferentz started at Iowa. He went 190-48 (.798) at Oklahoma in his only college head-coaching job, giving him more victories than Sooners greats Barry Switzer (157) and Bud Wilkinson (145).
Stoops will stay on as a special assistant to the athletic director.
http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2017/06/steve_spurrier_not_shocked_of.html
