.vresize.36.36.medium.0.png){kind=small}
.vresize.36.36.medium.0.png){kind=small}
Word up: Busy offseason has meant plenty for Stoops to talk about
During any offseason, Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops does the banquet circuit to keep Sooners boosters abreast of what's going on in the program and to drum up excitement for the coming season.
This offseason more than most has provided quite a bit more material to cover. From OU's blowout loss to Clemson in the bowl game to the coaching staff shakeup to transfers to a new offense to the quarterback derby, Oklahoma fans are a tad nervous about 2015.
College football blogger Ryan Gerbosi of the Dallas Morning News tracked down some of Stoops' best quotes of the offseason.
Here's a sampling:
On what happened in the Russell Athletic Bowl vs. Clemson:
Stoops: “In the end, to me, it ultimately falls in my lap. I didn’t do a good enough job getting — maybe, again, maybe, part of it — a little bit of a hangover over the last game (a 38-35 overtime loss to Oklahoma State). You look around, and in a lot of cases, teams who lose that last game before the bowl game, it can have a little bit of an effect. I didn’t do a good enough job being able to erase that, whether it be coaches or players. In the end, we didn’t do a good enough job.”
On why Mike Stoops is no longer in charge of defensive backs:
Stoops: “I think as much as anything, my feeling with him that he can move around and drift and move around at practice more not having the secondary and overlook not only the secondary, the defensive line. He also during practice has to manage the offensive look groups so then his eyes aren’t on the secondary as much, where I think it’s easier for him to manage the scout teams with just the outside backers up front. It’s much easier to see in there’s much less to correct than the secondary.”
On moving forward:
Stoops: “I just want to also say I’m more determined than ever to get Oklahoma back in the position to competing for national championships like we have so many other times. My dedication and commitment has been questioned before in the last few weeks, and I promise you I’m as dedicated and committed as I ever have been since the day I walked in here. I have a lot invested in this program and no one cares about it more than I do, and I’m anxious and excited moving forward to make improvements and get us back in the position where we’re competing for national championships like we have so many other times.”
For the full version of Stoops' best offseason quotes click here.
(h/t Dallas Morning News)
Photo Credit: Sue Ogrocki/AP
