Rivals.com Q&A: Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops

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In his 18th season as the head coach at Oklahoma, Bob Stoops is the longest tenured coach in the nation, beating Iowa’s Kirk Ferentz by one day. During his decorated career in Norman, Stoops has won nine conference titles and took home the national title in 2000. Stoops recently joined Rivals.com to talk about his 18 years in Norman, his secret to rebuilding a proud program and his thoughts on a number of other topics recruiting-related and otherwise.

Below is an excerpt from a larger conversation with Stoops, the audio of which can be found here on the Commitment Issues podcast:

Rivals: From the time that you took over at Oklahoma to now, it seems like things are a little bit different on the job security front. Nobody gets a long leash anymore. What do you think has contributed to that change?

Stoops: I don’t know. I guess, in today’s world, everyone wants success immediately. All situations are different, though, and all programs are different. Some may take a little longer to rebuild, but you have to be careful of sometimes having a quick trigger on coaches. When you do that, it’s kind of like you just start from scratch again. It takes time to accumulate the talent and build a team.

Rivals: You’re a guy that familiar with starting from scratch. You obviously helped rebuild Oklahoma when you came in. Things weren’t in a great place there. Is there a key to doing something like that? What allowed you to be able to come in and do that at OU?

Stoops: As much as anything, it’s about developing an attitude, a work ethic, a confidence and a belief in what you’re doing. And not a false confidence, just one that you know you’ve worked hard enough to deserve it. You build on that confidence. Then, it’s about recruiting and doing the right things in the way you build it.

Rivals: Speaking of recruiting, where do you want to live with that? There’s a little talent in the state there obviously, but you guys have to live outside of there to supplement it. What’s the ideal situation for you guys as far as regions go? In an ideal world, do you guys want to make your living in Texas?

Stoops: Proximity matters to every school, no matter what. I think the family and the recruit’s proximity is always an issue. Sure, we want to be great in Oklahoma, but just by population reasons there isn’t a great deal of numbers that are here.

I’ll say this, though: even though there aren’t great numbers in Oklahoma, the players that come the state of Oklahoma could play anywhere. I look at Jason White, Sam Bradford, Jermaine Gresham, Gerald McCoy … I can go on and on with the great players that have ben NFL guys and All-Americans. We just don’t have a lot of them because of the population base.

We have to live in the surrounding areas, and that pertains to Texas. Dallas is just 2.5 hours away, which is equal distance to a lot of other schools down there. That has to be a strong point for us.

Rivals: From that perspective – just as a football coach and not taking TV money into it – were you a little bit relieved that the Big 12 decided not to expand and add maybe even another team down there in Texas to overcrowd things?

Stoops: I’m just gonna stick with our leaders there. I’m going to stick with our president and athletic director. Whatever they feel needs to happen. I’m worried about winning games and going out recruiting.

Rivals: That’s the safe answer. I’ll give you credit for that. What’s your take on the early signing period that’s on the table right now?

Stoops: Yeah, I’m against part of it and for part of it. I don’t agree with a June Signing (Day). I don’t think there’s enough of a chance to get enough information. With grades, you’re still without another semester of grades. You need more time to get to know the people.

I do agree with the late December –- say Dec. 20 -– around the junior college Signing (Day). I absolutely agree with that one because now you have another semester of grades and you have time to official visit all through the fall. A lot of guys are finishing then, anyway. We have six or seven commits that are ready to come in mid-year anyway.

Rivals: A lot of people never think about the grades issue. You would get really incomplete transcripts and make a decision.

Stoops: To me, there’s a lot of issues with the June one. I feel it will change our calendar too much. There will be too much baggage around it, whereas I don’t think the December one changes our calendar very much. Our calendar, I believe, has been pretty good.

Rivals: How do you think recruiting has changed since you got to OU? Is it just the social media stuff or is there more?

Stoops: Actually, not too much. I still think it gets down to relationships and trust and success you’re having and how you’re going to treat the young man and develop them. All of that still pertains and all of that is still primary.

The social media part of it is that reaching kids is so much easier now. It used to be, 18 years ago, trying to reach kids was setting up appointments a week ahead of time to call at this time. Now, you can reach out any time and connect. That part of it is different, but I think it’s positive.

Rivals: It hasn’t made your job harder, having to stay on this constantly?

Stoops: Well, yes, but recruiting has always been hard. Selling your program is hard. It’s also not good if you’re not able to reach guys, you know? That makes it hard. I feel, the way it is now though, is almost easier. I wouldn’t say it’s ever easy, but I don’t feel it’s any harder is what I should say.

Rivals: So if they came to Bob Stoops – nobody else has any say in this – and says you can change one piece of recruiting legislation, what would you change?

Stoops: I would have a Signing Day for whoever wanted to on Dec. 20.

Rivals: You had Mike Leach working there for you for a bit. What’s the Mike Leach, private persona like – the persona as an employee -- as opposed to what he puts out there publicly?

Stoops: Very similar. It’s always a treat, what you’re gonna get. We loved him here. He’s a fun personality. He’s very interesting and different in what he thinks and his perspective, but a very wise guy. He did a great job for us. But, yeah, his persona around the office is very similar to what you see.

Rivals: Texas and Oklahoma have been playing in Dallas for some time. I know a lot of coaches differ in how they feel about neutral-site games. Would you rather have that rotating on the campuses or do you like it [in Dallas]?

Stoops: I love it where it’s at. Dallas is a primary recruiting base for us. And to play in the Cotton Bowl every year with the state fair going on around it, it’s one of the best atmospheres you could ever want to play in. I think it’s great where it’s at.

Rivals: Going back to the early Signing Day, in talking to your colleagues and others, is that something you realistically think will get passed?

Stoops: I don’t know because I’ve thought it would plenty of times and it hasn’t.

Rivals: So, in your estimation, what’s the reason for voting against a Signing Day in December?

Stoops: Some people just feel like they want until the end to try to change people’s minds or whatever.