Bob Stoops Will Serve As Interim Coach for Oklahoma After Lincoln Riley Departure

Stoops is filling in for Riley, who is leaving the program for USC.

In a strange turn of events, Bob Stoops is returning to the sidelines for Oklahoma and will coach the team in its bowl game, according to The Athletic. The news comes after it was reported that Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley is leaving the program to become USC's new head coach. 

Oklahoma athletic director Joe Castiglione later announced that Stoops would serve as interim head coach after Riley was officially announced as USC's new coach.

Stoops, who has remained as a part-time special assistant with the Sooners since retiring in 2017, was in the room when Riley informed the team he was leaving, per The Athletic. 

Stoops coached Oklahoma from 1996 to 2017 and won a BCS National Championship with the program in 2000. After he retired, Stoops helped select Riley, who was the team's offensive coordinator, to be his replacement. 

This will be Oklahoma's first search for a head coach since Stoops was hired 25 years ago because Riley was an in-house hire. It remains to be seen who the Sooners will play in the bowl game when Stoops puts the headset back on. 

For more Oklahoma news, head over to All Sooners.