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OU reportedly offers Stoops raise to counter Florida coaching offer
Daily Oklahoman
NORMAN - Oklahoma has offered Bob Stoops a raise, hoping to keep him from leaving for Florida, a television station reported Wednesday night.
Oklahoma City's KOCO-TV Channel 5 reported Stoops had been offered a job by Florida and said OU had countered the offer. The report did not list specific figures, though a source told The Oklahoman Florida's offer and OU's counter would be significantly higher than Stoops' current annual salary of $2.3 million.
A source said Stoops met with OU president David Boren on Wednesday but said the meeting's agenda might have concerned other subjects. Another source said Stoops and Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley might have spoken recently about the Gators' coaching vacancy.
Stephen Bentley, chairman of the OU Board of Regents, said Wednesday he knew nothing about any of it.
"That kind of upsets me if that's going on," said Bentley, publisher of the Lawton Constitution. "I hadn't heard that. ... There's nothing at all. The last time I talked with Bob, he was happy to be here. We're in the midst of the Big 12 championship and a national championship game, hopefully."
Stoops' current contract runs through 2010 and includes a $100,000 raise each year.
Stoops could not be reached Wednesday night. After practice -- before the TV station's report -- Stoops said he was not interested in any coaching vacancies.
"I'm not interested in any jobs," Stoops said. "For the third time and all these other ones coming up, I'm not interested in anything else. I'm very fortunate to have the job I have, period."
Several times in the last few weeks, Stoops said he was not interested in the Florida vacancy created when Ron Zook was fired Oct. 25, midway through his third season with the Gators. Zook had replaced Steve Spurrier in January 2002 -- but only after Stoops, a former Florida assistant, turned the job down.
But persistent rumors have circulated that Florida continues to pursue Stoops and that Stoops might be interested. Several Florida newspapers reported variations of the theme Wednesday.
Also, Stoops' name has popped up on candidate lists at Notre Dame and with the Cleveland Browns. Stoops turned down Notre Dame's overtures three years ago and turned down the Browns in January 2001.
Stoops did not address any specific rumors Wednesday but said he wasn't leaving OU.
"That's just not happening," Stoops said. "People have a lot of opinions about me that aren't true, that they don't know. Opinions are opinions. The bottom line is very few of them really know.
"But it surprises me, though, that more of them don't understand how fortunate and happy I am to be here at Oklahoma with such a great program, such great tradition, working with such great players and administration.
"To me, this is an elite program. And again, I'm fortunate to have this job."
I like how Stoops handles this. I think if Franchione would not have talked so much Coach Speak in the past when jumping around that people would be more trusting of Coaches being offered other head coaching positions.
Daily Oklahoman
NORMAN - Oklahoma has offered Bob Stoops a raise, hoping to keep him from leaving for Florida, a television station reported Wednesday night.
Oklahoma City's KOCO-TV Channel 5 reported Stoops had been offered a job by Florida and said OU had countered the offer. The report did not list specific figures, though a source told The Oklahoman Florida's offer and OU's counter would be significantly higher than Stoops' current annual salary of $2.3 million.
A source said Stoops met with OU president David Boren on Wednesday but said the meeting's agenda might have concerned other subjects. Another source said Stoops and Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley might have spoken recently about the Gators' coaching vacancy.
Stephen Bentley, chairman of the OU Board of Regents, said Wednesday he knew nothing about any of it.
"That kind of upsets me if that's going on," said Bentley, publisher of the Lawton Constitution. "I hadn't heard that. ... There's nothing at all. The last time I talked with Bob, he was happy to be here. We're in the midst of the Big 12 championship and a national championship game, hopefully."
Stoops' current contract runs through 2010 and includes a $100,000 raise each year.
Stoops could not be reached Wednesday night. After practice -- before the TV station's report -- Stoops said he was not interested in any coaching vacancies.
"I'm not interested in any jobs," Stoops said. "For the third time and all these other ones coming up, I'm not interested in anything else. I'm very fortunate to have the job I have, period."
Several times in the last few weeks, Stoops said he was not interested in the Florida vacancy created when Ron Zook was fired Oct. 25, midway through his third season with the Gators. Zook had replaced Steve Spurrier in January 2002 -- but only after Stoops, a former Florida assistant, turned the job down.
But persistent rumors have circulated that Florida continues to pursue Stoops and that Stoops might be interested. Several Florida newspapers reported variations of the theme Wednesday.
Also, Stoops' name has popped up on candidate lists at Notre Dame and with the Cleveland Browns. Stoops turned down Notre Dame's overtures three years ago and turned down the Browns in January 2001.
Stoops did not address any specific rumors Wednesday but said he wasn't leaving OU.
"That's just not happening," Stoops said. "People have a lot of opinions about me that aren't true, that they don't know. Opinions are opinions. The bottom line is very few of them really know.
"But it surprises me, though, that more of them don't understand how fortunate and happy I am to be here at Oklahoma with such a great program, such great tradition, working with such great players and administration.
"To me, this is an elite program. And again, I'm fortunate to have this job."
I like how Stoops handles this. I think if Franchione would not have talked so much Coach Speak in the past when jumping around that people would be more trusting of Coaches being offered other head coaching positions.
