Sooners' matchup against Seminoles also a battle between brothers

The Stoops brothers make up one of the most prominent coaching families in football, short of maybe only John and Jim Harbaugh of the Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers, respectively. So any time they face off, it becomes the talk of the town.

OU coach Bob Stoops’ younger brother, Mark, is the defensive coordinator for the fifth-ranked Florida State Seminoles, who host the Sooners on Sept. 17 in Tallahassee, Fla.

Bob Stoops said he’s proud of what Mark has accomplished and said he’d do things differently a second time around.

“If I’d have known what I know now, I would have fought [to bring Mark to OU] back in ’99,” he said. “If I had known I was going to be here 13 years, I wouldn’t have worried about some of those nepotism laws quite as much and would have had him here. I wish I had.”

Mark bounced around from university to university early in his career, always keeping the same defensive-minded principles his brothers also hold, until following his brother, Mike, to Arizona in 2004. He joined Florida State’s staff in 2009.

“He’s had great experiences, and there’s a lot to learn, too, when you go into a difficult rebuilding job like they did at Arizona,” Bob Stoops said. “Obviously, his experiences have done well for him. He’s doing great — he’s doing a little better than I wish he was this week, anyway.”

Because of scheduling, Bob Stoops hasn’t been able to avoid coaching against his brothers like he would like. If OU goes to the Pac-12, Stoops’ Sooners would be put in the same division as Mike’s Arizona Wildcats.

“I wouldn’t like it,” Bob Stoops said. “I made that point. I don’t like playing Mark in two weeks.”

However, Stoops emphasized he’d never let his personal feelings about competing against his brothers get in the way of what would be best for OU.

“I think our universities are beyond what our family preference is,” he said. “That’s not something that would be brought up whatsoever — it’s something that doesn’t matter. The university’s going to be here long after myself and Mike.”

The Wildcats play Oklahoma State this weekend in Stillwater, and OU has a bye week. Still, Stoops likes to avoid seeing his family in competitive situations, especially involving the Sooners’ in-state rival, so he said he won’t be going to the game.

“I go to Stillwater when I have to,” Stoops said.

QUOTE BOARD

OU coach Bob Stoops, on the death of former Sooner great Lee Roy Selmon…

“All of us here at the university and associated with it are just saddened by the death of Lee Roy and want them to know that our prayers continue to be with them at this difficult time. Lee Roy was just an absolutely amazing person, and they have an absolutely wonderful family — one to emulate. I know all the Selmon brothers are guys that I have put in front of our football team whenever I have the opportunity because they are what you want to model and emulate.”

Stoops, on junior quarterback Landry Jones’ performance against Tulsa…

“Everybody’s looking to (say) he didn’t play so well. He played well — he played very well. We’re so used to seeing Heisman Trophy-like performances — whether it’s [Jones’] or Sam Bradford’s — that we’ve gotten awfully picky here.”

Stoops, on all the uniform changes in college football this season…

“I think it’s awesome — for them. I don’t see it happening here. We have one of those brands that doesn’t change.”

James Corley

James is a former staff member of The Oklahoma Daily who worked as Sports Reporter, Sports Editor, Night Editor, Sports Reporter, Inside the Huddle Editor, Managing Editor and Sports Reporter.