OU Football Coaching Changes

[venture]

ESPN just reported during the game that talk is very active right now where Mike Stoops will come back and be Co-Defensive Coordinator again with Brent. Excited by this news and should see the defense get updated a bit.

[dcsooner]

Nepotism 101. Sad

[Easy180]

Not sure he will be the savior everyone expects but don't see how this hurts anything for sure

[Just the facts]

Nepotism 101. Sad

It is not nepotism if the relative is the best candidate for the job. If Bob Stoops is guilty of anything it is that he has a problem firing people.

[kevinpate]

wil this give the coaching staff co-coordinators at both offense and defense, plus their assistants? Is that common among the higher end programs?

[dcsooner]

It is not nepotism if the relative is the best candidate for the job. If Bob Stoops is guilty of anything it is that he has a problem firing people.

Your opinion. What happened to ALL those schools looking at MS according to BS soon after his brother was fired? Like I said my opinion is that this is a prime example of family favoritism just like here in Washington with Mike and kyle Shannahan of the Redskins and the Ryan family of the NFL John Thompson and John Thompson III of Georgetown etc etc.

[BlackmoreRulz]

He seemed like the perfect match for Mike Leach's new adventure...

[Bill Robertson]

It is not nepotism if the relative is the best candidate for the job. If Bob Stoops is guilty of anything it is that he has a problem firing people.

Which Bob will have to do to make room for Mike. NCAA only allows so many coaches. Who will Bob fire?

[ljbab728]

Which Bob will have to do to make room for Mike. NCAA only allows so many coaches. Who will Bob fire?

I've heard speculation that Bobby Jack Wright might be kicked upstairs or moved to a position other than coach.

[ou48A]

I've heard speculation that Bobby Jack Wright might be kicked upstairs or moved to a position other than coach.

This^ + there is talk about coaches leaving for other positions.

[venture]

Not to derail too far from the original subject, what is everyone's thought on Josh's first year as play caller and co-OC? Felt a little underwhelmed with a lot of the play calling, but like the introduction of Bell.

[ljbab728]

Not to derail too far from the original subject, what is everyone's thought on Josh's first year as play caller and co-OC? Felt a little underwhelmed with a lot of the play calling, but like the introduction of Bell.

I thought it was a mixed bag. Some innovation and some things were too predictable.

[ou48A]

According to ESPN it’s now official.
With Mike now back if nothing else OU will start recruiting better defensive players.

[venture]

http://espn.go.com/college-football/...or-sources-say

Not much there...

Former Arizona coach Mike Stoops will join the Oklahoma staff as co-defensive coordinator, a move that will be announced as soon as Wednesday, sources said.

Willie Martinez, an assistant who coached the defensive backs, is leaving the staff

Joe Schad covers college football for ESPN.

[SoonerDave]

Not to derail too far from the original subject, what is everyone's thought on Josh's first year as play caller and co-OC? Felt a little underwhelmed with a lot of the play calling, but like the introduction of Bell.

I think at times he was clearly overwhelmed, and as can often be the case with a bright, young person who has a great deal of natural insights, he overthought things too much. The offensive gameplan against OSU made absolutely no sense IMHO. My other thought is that perhaps some of the time a few of the offensive sets had too many option routes that, in turn, required too many reads by WR's and the QB, which gives lots of opportunities for what look like badly missed plays. Even during the rout of Texas, there was a spell in the mid-2nd quarter where the offense really sputtered (although the game was out of hand by then and it didn't really matter), where it was obvious a receiver was running one route, but Jones was throwing another. Obviously option routes are all part of the game, but it made me wonder if there might have been just a few too *many* sets that maybe were just on the edge of making the offense too fragile but for a wrong read.

I honestly wonder if the Belldozer was Josh's creation. I ask that because I believe Wilson built the "diamond" set we ran out of so effectively the latter half of 2010, but abandoned completely this year. I recall Heupel saying that "Demarco Murray made the diamond work," and that was the rationale for abandoning it, but I can't believe Whaley couldn't have been run at Murray's spot and that offense tried. My trick knee is telling me the run-option out of that formation put it in a lower priority for Heupel's philosophy. That's why I wonder if the Belldozer was really Norvell's creation, because you can't GET any more smash-mouth than that. It showed that this OL can, in fact, block the run. It was amazing if for no other reason than to see defenses entirely unprepared for it.

I don't know if OU will have the weapons at WR next year to run the high-tempo, high-octane, high-finesse offense next year. I think Jones needs to hang out with Blake Bell over the summer and absorb about 25% of the incredible attitude Bell *clearly* brings to the offense when he's out there. Jones just isn't a fiery guy, and that's no knock on him - that's just who he is. But a little more fire would help him, and I think translate positively to the rest of the offense next year. He has to be more of a leader in '12 no matter what, IMHO.

[SoonerQueen]

Rumor is that Mark Mangino might be returning to OU along with Mike Stoops. Might be nice to have the original Stoops OU fam back together again. You have to admit the Sooners were really good in those early Stoops years.

[venture]

He will need to get rid of another coach on offense then. Mike Stoops can't be announced until the one defensive coach leaves.

[ljbab728]

I've heard that before and don't believe it for a minute.

[venture]

http://newsok.com/brent-venables-bes...rticle/3639837

http://eye-on-collegefootball.blogs....56338/34342273

It appears things might be changed. Venables is being targeted by WVU and Clemson. So it might be him leaving instead of the Defensive Backs coach to open up a spot for Mike Stoops.

[Fantastic]

Mike Stoops can't be announced until the one defensive coach leaves.

Willie Martinez (Defensive Backs) was let go to make way for Mike Stoops. It was made official yesterday.

[SoonerDave]

I can see how this its a no win situation for Venables, but going to the same position at WVa doesn't make sense. He won't be in line for the HC position, its not nearly as good a program as Oklahoma, far fewer resources, etc. Clemson makes more sense, winnable conference, but hard to see a path to the Hc there. Things need to settle out quickly with the end of the dead period approaching....

[venture]

It is sounding like it is Bob's stance to never fire a coach unless it is warranted that is causing some issues here. I would imagine Venables would be better off staying here with the family and worked with Mike again. Like you said Dave, they need to get this done quick...whatever they are doing.

[venture]

Willie Martinez (Defensive Backs) was let go to make way for Mike Stoops. It was made official yesterday.

Didn't see anything in the press about it yet.

[BrettM2]

Didn't see anything in the press about it yet.

Still not official, but the folks at NewsOK.com are treating it as all but done.

http://blog.newsok.com/ou/2012/01/11...nez-out-at-ou/

[venture]

Yeah I read that story. Just seems that Stoops is trying to do everything to find the guy a job, but none have moved yet.