Bob Stoops still got it. Stoops, who was four years removed from retiring from coaching college football, was called upon by his old team, the Oklahoma Sooners, to guide the program for one game — in the Alamo Bowl against the Oregon Ducks.
Stoops' comeback was a success, as the Sooners took down the Oregon Ducks Wednesday to the tune of a 47-32 score. The 61-year-old Stoops was emotional after the win, but also did not hide how ecstatic he was over the opportunity to be with the Sooners that landed on his lap, per ESPN.
“I've been out of it, came back,” Stoops said. “It was fun. More than anything, I appreciate the young people, the guys in the program, embraced me, were all in, and worked hard.”
The sight of Stoops coaching the Sooners again must be bittersweet to at least some Oklahoma fans. While Stoops' presence brought nostalgia for Sooners supporters, they also must have thought what could have been for the team this season in which they were on course for a possible College Football Playoff appearance until they got tripped up in Waco by the Baylor Bears last November.
But what really paved the way for Stoops' reunion with the Sooners was the shocking departure of Lincoln Riley from Norman to coach the USC Trojans.
With the victory over the Ducks, Stoops managed to improve his bowl record to 10-0 and notch his 191st career win as a college football head coach