Within two hours of Will Muschamp‘s dismissal at Florida, two Oklahoma beat writers - Guerin Emig of the Tulsa World and Jason Kersey of the Oklahoman - posted nearly identical columns making similar (and sound) points: Bob Stoops probably isn’t taking the Florida job, and it has nothing to do with the Florida job.
In 2010 and 2011, Stoops’ Oklahoma teams faced Florida State in a home-and-home, at the time coordinated on defense by his younger brother, Mark Stoops. The Sooners won both games, 47-17 in Norman in 2010 and 23-13 in Tallahassee a year later, and the elder Stoops has never been more miserable.
“I felt the entire week that it would be a miserable experience. Then I said after the game I was sure, now that I’ve done it. I’ve never been so conflicted and miserable about winning a game,” Stoops said at the time.
“Playing your brother for a championship, that’s OK. One of you is going to win a championship, and the other played for one, did well. If it isn’t that case, you spend your life fighting for your brother. You go play another neighborhood in whatever. You bring your brothers with you. They’re always on your team or you’re sticking up for them. You’re always helping each out. Then all of a sudden, you’ve got to beat each other, it’s not what you want. It’s not natural.”
Mark Stoops since moved on to become Kentucky’s head coach, meaning Bob Stoops would face his younger brother on an annual basis.
“You just cannot separate blood. I just don’t like it and I knew that going into the game,” Stoops said back in 2010, “and I’m positive of it now after the game.”
This doesn’t sound like a guy itching to face his brother on the field and on the recruiting trail year after year, does it?