‘Extremely invested’ Bob Stoops an asset for Lincoln Riley
HOLLYWOOD, FLA. — After Oklahoma’s Tre Norwood intercepted a pass in the closing minutes of the Big 12 Championship Game on Dec. 1, the tears started welling up in Lincoln Riley.
Then during the postgame interview with ESPN’s Holly Rowe, the Sooners’ coach briefly broke down in tears again before composing himself.
In the hours after Saturday’s 45-34 loss to Alabama in a College Football Playoff semifinal, Riley said the high emotions were connected to the mid-October firing of longtime defensive coordinator Mike Stoops.
“It was tough, but I know it was tough on our players here, our coaches here, obviously Mike, his family,” Riley said Sunday. “It’s not easy on anybody. I mean he’s such a huge part of this program and with all the other obvious ties — I mean it sucked. Yeah, it was rough.”
The continuing support of Bob Stoops, Mike’s brother and the coach who not only hired Riley four years ago but also hand-picked him as his own successor, has helped ease things.
Bob Stoops has remained involved and connected with the program and was in South Florida last week supporting the Sooners.
Riley said Stoops remains his biggest living mentor.
“That’s how that family’s been to me the whole time though,” Riley said. “All of them — Bob, Mark, Mike, all of them have been great to me. Ron. It doesn’t surprise me, but I don’t take it for granted. I mean they know this is business and they get it. It’s been in their blood for a long, long time.
“Bob’s still extremely invested in what we’re doing and somebody I talk to on a regular basis that I want around this program as much as he