The Florida Gators have a vacancy opening up at the head coaching position. Michigan could be getting there. Despite the feeling Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops would benefit from a change of scenery, be it Ann Arbor or Gainesville, Stoops would like it if we all just stopped wasting time talking about it.
On Monday morning during his regular spot in the weekly Big 12 coaches conference call, Stoops was asked about the possibility of leaving Oklahoma for Florida. “All I want to be is a candidate at Oklahoma,” Stoops claimed. “I’m not a candidate anywhere else. I’m finished with that question.”
Coaches will often say things like this, whether they have interest or not. Stoops has turned aside various coaching rumors over the course of his time at Oklahoma, and he seems comfortable in Oklahoma to stay as long as he wishes. He also has a pretty good situation at Oklahoma and there are not too many jobs a coach would be likely to leave Oklahoma to take on. A rebuilding project at Florida may not be one of them at this point in time, although whomever takes over as head coach of the Gators could be looking at a quick fixer-upper. There is no reason to believe Stoops would not be successful at Florida, but there is also not a whole lot that can be done at Florida that cannot be done at Oklahoma. It would be a lateral move at best by moving from Oklahoma to Florida.
On Sunday Florida announced head coach Will Muschamp will be removed as head coach at the end of the regular season. Muschamp will stay on the sideline to coach Florida’s final two games of the season, needing just one win in order to become bowl eligible.