Report: Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops retiring after 18 seasons

Oklahoma’s Bob Stoops will reportedly retire after 18 seasons as head coach.

Oklahoma’s Bob Stoops will retire after 18 seasons as head football coach, Berry Tramel of The Oklahoman reports.

Stoops, 56, will be replaced by 33-year-old offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley. He informed his players of his decision on Wednesday.

After taking over the program in 1999, Stoops went 190–48 at Oklahoma, winning the national title in 2000 in addition to 10 Big 12 championships (nine outright). He was college football’s longest-tenured active head coach.

In a statement, Stoops said that his health “was not the deciding factor” in his choice to retire. “I feel the timing is perfect to hand over the reins, he wrote. 

Full Bob Stoops statement from OU pic.twitter.com/ZZkvjfZKaG

— Mark Schlabach (@Mark_Schlabach) June 7, 2017

“The program is in tremendous shape. We have outstanding players and coaches and are poised to make another run at a Big 12 and national championship,” Stoops wrote. “Lincoln Riley will provide a seamless transition as the new head coach, capitalizing on an excellent staff that is already in place and providing familiarity and confidence for our players.”