As Mike Stoops stood on the sidelines for Oklahoma’s Insight Bowl win over Iowa Dec. 30, and as had been rumored from almost the moment the ax fell on his tenure at Arizona, it was reported that Bob’s brother would be returning to the Sooners in the not-too-distant future.
A week and a half later, that family reunion is reportedly coming to fruition.
Citing multiple sources close to the OU program, News9.com in Oklahoma City is reporting that Stoops will rejoin the Sooners coaching staff this week. The television states that Stoops will be named secondary coach as well as co-defensive coordinator.
As had previously been reported, current defensive coordinator Brent Venables is on-board with the decision to slice his title in half in order to get the younger Stoops into the OU coaching fold.
Willie Martinez, OU’s current secondary coach, has been connected to defensive coordinator openings elsewhere, including Kansas and Illinois. The station writes that “Martinez is the odd man out in the rotation.”
Prior to an eight-year run as UA’s head coach, Stoops served as an assistant at OU from 1999-2003.
(Tip O’ the Cap: Tulsa World’s John Hoover)