Stoops Brings Winning Attitude Back To Norman

Aug. 10, 2000

By OWEN CANFIELD
AP Sports Writer

NORMAN, Okla. (AP) - Bob Stoops was surprised, even a little angry, at what he heard from Oklahoma fans a year ago.

Instead of asking Stoops about the chances of winning a conference title, fans wondered whether a winning record was possible. And they weren't kidding, not after watching the Sooners win 12 games in the previous three years.

"I was offended last year when people didn't think we would win games or whether we'd be a bowl team," Stoops said. "That's just how I am."

One year later, Oklahoma has sold 63,000 season tickets, the most since Barry Switzer's final season in 1988. The Sooners are ranked (No. 19) in The Associated Press preseason poll for the first time since 1995. Conference media have picked them to give Texas a run for the Big 12 South title.

Oklahoma, it appears, is returning to respectability.

"We're still trying to get back to where Oklahoma was, which was winning conference championships and playing for national championships," linebacker Rocky Calmus says. "That's what we want."

Stoops is quick to point out the Sooners aren't there yet, not after a 7-5 season. But they are closer than they were a year ago.

When he left as Florida's defensive coordinator to become Oklahoma's head coach in December 1998, Stoops said he was drawn in part by Oklahoma's tradition - six national championships, scores of All-Americans and conference championships.

But he inherited a program that hadn't had a winning season since 1993. There were .500 seasons in 1994, Gary Gibbs' final year, and 1995, when Howard Schnellenberger was in charge.

Then came John Blake, who was 12-22 in three seasons before being shown the door. His stay in Norman was the worst stretch in the program's history, a dizzying three years of indecision by the staff that translated into ineptness on the field.

Stoops promised on the day he was hired that he would never offer excuses and that Oklahoma would remain consistent in its approach on both sides of the ball - clear changes from the prior regime.

Then he set about convincing his players, many of whom were shell-shocked from the previous few years.

"That's a big part of the battle, that your players believe in what you're doing and trust that you're leading them down the right path and give them their best chance to win," Stoops said.

Another part is a commitment by the players. Stoops stressed the need to put in the necessary hours in the weight room and elsewhere to make a difference on the field. They did that, and continue to do so - 75 players made at least 45 of the 48 summer workouts.

"I don't think our expectations have changed," quarterback Josh Heupel said. "I think the expectations of people outside the program have changed. But Coach Stoops and the staff have always talked about winning."

Heupel, a junior-college transfer last year, flourished under Oklahoma's new wide-open passing attack. He threw for 3,460 yards and 30 touchdowns during the regular season, both school and conference records. He broke five OU single-game records and 12 season marks.

When Mike Leach, who installed the scheme at Oklahoma, left to become head coach at Texas Tech, Stoops stayed consistent. He promoted offensive line coach Mark Mangino to offensive coordinator, which made for a smooth transition as the Sooners prepared for the Independence Bowl.

The philosophy on defense is the same one Stoops developed as defensive coordinator at Florida and before that at Kansas State. The co-coordinators are Stoops' brother, Mike, and Brent Venables, who were at Kansas State before coming to Norman.

There were some impressive highlights in the '99 season, particularly a 45-point victory over Texas A&M, the third-worst loss in the Aggies' 105-year history, and a 44-7 defeat of Oklahoma State. But there also were losses to Notre Dame, Texas and Texas Tech, games in which Oklahoma let leads slip away.

Stoops used those to remind his team, and Oklahoma fans, that there is still plenty of work ahead. But clearly the journey back to respectability isn't as long as it was when he arrived.

"Last year, we had a measure of success," he said. "I'm the first one to tell you we need to do more and want more."

University of Oklahoma Athletics

Stoops Brings Winning Attitude Back To Norman

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