Bob Stoops Issues Statement on Brent Venables, Josh Heupel and Oklahoma's Showdown With Tennessee

The Sooners' Hall of Fame coach has close personal ties to both the OU coach and the Tennessee coach, but in the end declares his loyalty.

Dec 29, 2021; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Oklahoma Sooners incoming coach Brent Venables (left) and interim coach Bob Stoops celebrate after the 2021 Alamo Bowl against the Oregon Ducks at Alamodome. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

It must be a stressful week for Bob Stoops.

Oklahoma’s Hall of Fame football coach will watch his old quarterback match wits against his old defensive coordinator on Saturday when No. 6-ranked Tennessee takes on No. 15 Oklahoma in Norman.

Stoops, who retired ahead of the 2017 season but has remained close to the OU program as a special assistant to the athletic director and as the dad of receiving leader Drake Stoops, is clearly excited for the game.

But he won’t be doing any interviews this week, he announced on Twitter on Sunday night as Brent Venables and the Sooners prepare to receive Josh Heupel and the Volunteers.

“Having a strong history with both Brent Venables & Josh Heupel as players/coaches has led to far too many requests for interviews — so I’m respectfully declining all of them,” Stoops wrote. All attention need to be on those two coaches and their programs.

“I have great respect for both coaches. I’m grateful for their great work here at OU; Brent as a coach here for 13 years including our national championship in 2000, Josh as our 2000 national championship QB & coach for 10 years. I’ve often said he is the MVP of all my recruits because he was the catalyst that (got) us started in ’99.

“I wish them both great success moving forward! But in the end, I’m all — Boomer Sooner!”

The Vols and Sooners kick off at 6:30 p.m. in prime time on ABC. 

ESPN’s “College GameDay” will originate its pregame kickoff show Saturday from Norman — for the first time since 2020 and for just the second time since 2012.

No doubt Stoops could provide some colorful background and invaluable insight to the hordes of media covering the Sooners as Heupel returns this week to where it all began for him, as well as for the national press descending on Norman this week.

But Stoops will stay neutral and remain above the fray.

Stoops’ relationship with both coaches goes far behind that 2000 national title team.

He also recruited and ultimately coached Venables as a linebacker at Kansas State before Venables began his coaching career under Stoops for the Wildcats on Bill Snyder’s staff.

And when Heupel broke into coaching following his playing career, he started on Stoops’ staff as a GA, then coached tight ends at Arizona under Mike Stoops before coming back to OU as quarterbacks coach from 2006-2010. Eventually, Heupel was elevated to offensive coordinator from 2011-14 before Stoops fired him.

Stoops didn’t fire Venables when Venables was defensive coordinator in 2011, but after Mike Stoops was fired from Arizona after the 2011 season, Bob Stoops brought back his brother as the Sooners’ primary defensive coordinator for 2012, and Venables decided to leave to take over the defense at Clemson, where he proceeded to win two national championships.

Both Heupel and Venables accomplished much as assistant coaches under Stoops, but both also saw their careers blossom after leaving OU. Venables became Dabo Swinney’s top lieutenant at Clemson and took the head coaching job at OU after the 2021 season, while Heupel became offensive coordinator at Utah State and Missouri before taking over as head coach at UCF (2018-2020) and Tennessee (2021-present).