Today is Bob Stoops day at Oklahoma. The Sooners turned their spring game into a celebration of Stoops’s 18-year career, as hundreds of his former players made the trek to Norman to honor their former coach.
Headed home this weekend to celebrate your incredible career!#BeThere #SaluteToStoops pic.twitter.com/4yrP1nM6m5
— Corey Nelson (@C_Ne7son) April 11, 2018
Thank you for taking a chance on a small town kid!!! The lessons learned under you still impact me every day. Can’t wait to honor you this weekend. #BeThere #SaluteToStoops pic.twitter.com/LL74NalZmr
— Teddy Lehman (@TedLehman11) April 12, 2018
Oklahoma also decorated the field to honor Stoops, and unveiled his much-awaited statue.
It’s here pic.twitter.com/pvVxp3fX3m
— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) April 14, 2018
OU held a big dinner on Friday night, with pre-recorded tributes by a number of luminaries throughout the Stoops era. Including Mike Gundy.
Mike Gundy’s tribute to Bob Stoops: they can go hunting, golfing and swimming pic.twitter.com/Bw9JnRuZ6e
— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) April 14, 2018
Stoops won 10 of the 12 meetings between the two men, but as the most important people in the state over the course of their respective tenures, the relationship between the former OU coach and the current OSU coach clearly stretched beyond football.
Once Gundy’s tribute ended, Oklahoma closed down its Stoops tribute in the most Oklahoma way possible: with a Toby Keith concert.
Is it really a Toby Keith Bob Stoops tribute if there isn’t a red solo cup champagne toast?
— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) April 14, 2018
“red frickin sooner cup” pic.twitter.com/MRKO0Ac9ZK