|
Sport Sections |
|
|
| | |||
| Tuesday, January 23 Stoops earns Bryant Award as top coach Associated Press | |||
| HOUSTON -- Bob Stoops, who led Oklahoma to the national championship in his second season with the Sooners, received the Bear Bryant Award Wednesday night as the nation's top college football coach.
Stoops was selected from a field of six finalists in voting by
the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association. Other
finalists were Florida State's Bobby Bowden, South Carolina's Lou
Holtz, Oregon State's Dennis Erickson, Miami's Butch Davis and
Dennis Franchione, who was at Texas Christian before being named
coach at Alabama.
Stoops and the Sooners may have raised the bar for speed in
reaching the top.
"We need to do it again or there will be pressure on me too,"
Stoops said. "That's the nature of the beast. I think it's neat
what our program was able to do in a short time, but now we've got
to do it again.
"We are no different from anyone else. We'll put it to rest
shortly and get back to work."
The Sooners finished 13-0 and defeated Florida State 13-2 in the
Orange Bowl for the school's first national championship since
1985. Oklahoma started the season ranked No. 19 and made a steady
rise to No. 1, defeating No. 11 Texas, No. 2 Kansas State and No. 1
Nebraska in October. Oklahoma was ranked No. 1 the remainder of the
season.
"The biggest difference was our approach with the players,"
Stoops said. "We embraced them immediately and told them we expect
to win with them right now."
He said the players embraced and accepted the teaching and
coaching quickly.
"We moved as one and that makes a big difference."
Stoops took over in 1998 from John Blake, who led the Sooners to
a 12-22 record over three years. Oklahoma finished 7-5 in Stoops'
first season and went to a bowl game for the first time since 1994.
"A lot of factors needed to be shored up, our discipline, our
expectations and work ethic all needed developing and nourishing,"
Stoops said. "But it happened quickly and I credit the players for
accepting it."
Stoops has been mentioned in connection with the Cleveland
Browns' vacant head coaching job, but says he plans to remain in
Oklahoma. The school recently doubled his salary to $1.4 million
and gave him a five-year extension.
"I wasn't close and I never was in any discussions (with
Cleveland)," Stoops said. "I can't help what people want to rumor
or say. All I can say is what I did. I don't intend to go at all."
Stoops isn't bothered by talk of him accepting another job.
"I think it helps your recruiting. It beats the heck out of
nobody wanting you," Stoops said.
| |||
|
Copyright ©2000 ESPN Internet Ventures. Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and Safety Information are applicable to this site. Click here for a list of employment opportunities at ESPN.com. |