Hey, Bowman, your other Oklahoma hero, Ol' Gunsmoke himself, was on the LBOH show today telling Stoops to stay put in college. If you missed it, here's an article with his thoughts.
Not that your intent is reasoned argumentation anyway................
Cowboys Coach Bill Parcells Retires: Stoops better off staying with Sooners
By DAVE SITTLER World Sports Columnist
1/23/2007
Barry Switzer has some advice for Oklahoma football coach Bob Stoops -- stay right where you are.
And if Switzer knows what he's talking about, and there is no reason to doubt him, Stoops will not be the next coach of the Dallas Cowboys.
Several media outlets listed Stoops as a candidate for the Dallas job shortly after Cowboys' coach Bill Parcells announced Monday morning that he was retiring.
"Bob Stoops has a better job right now," Switzer said Monday night in a telephone interview. "The OU job is better than the Dallas Cowboys."
Switzer absolutely, unequivocally knows what he's talking about when it comes to comparing the head-coach's position in Norman with the one in Big D.
The 69-year-old Switzer is one of only two coaches in history to win both a collegiate national championship and a Super Bowl. Switzer won three national titles in 17 seasons at OU, and Super Bowl XXX in the second of three seasons coaching the Cowboys.
Switzer also cited another reason why OU supporters should not worry they are about to lose Stoops, who has won four Big 12 Conference championships and the 2000 national title in eight seasons coaching the Sooners.
"Jerry Jones is not going to hire a college coach," Switzer said. "I talked to someone on the (Cowboys') inside today who told me that Jerry is going to stay within the (NFL) league to hire a coach."
Stoops did not return a telephone message left on his cell phone Monday. But he has said several times he is intrigued by professional football and could see himself coaching in the NFL at some point in his career.
Some pundits have speculated that Stoops changed his mind about the NFL after Steve Spurrier failed in two seasons with the Washington Commanders. Spurrier has been a close friend and confidant of Stoops ever since the OU coach was Spurrier's defensive coordinator for three seasons at Florida.
Spurrier, now South Carolina's coach, is one of several men who have recently failed to successfully make the jump from college to the NFL. Other NFL head coaches who have returned to college in recent seasons include Alabama's Nick Saban (Miami), North Carolina's Butch Davis (Cleveland) and Arizona State's Dennis Erickson (Seattle and San Francisco).
Stoops indicated to me more than once this season that Spurrier's NFL experience wouldn't play a role in any decision he makes about an NFL job offer. He has also said more than once that no matter how successful a coach has been, he should leave a job before he wears out his welcome.
Stoops isn't close to wearing out his welcome at OU. Especially after a 2006 season that saw him overcome several challenges to win the Big 12 title and take the Sooners to the Fiesta Bowl.
But Switzer, who replaced Jimmy Johnson as the Cowboys' coach in 1994, said Stoops would be wise to notice the trend of coaches getting out of the NFL as soon as an attractive college position opens.
"I inherited a hell of lot better team than Parcells did," Switzer said. "It was the same thing for Spurrier (lack of talent with the Commanders)."
Johnson is the only other coach to win a national title and Super Bowl. The former Oklahoma State coach won the national championship at Miami and two Super Bowls with Dallas before having a falling out with Jones and leaving the Dallas franchise.
Among the Cowboys Johnson left behind for Switzer were running back Emmitt Smith, wide receiver Michael Irvin and Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman.
"It's all about the quarterback in the NFL," Switzer said. "Look at the four teams in Sunday's (NFL conference title) playoffs. Three of them had three of the best quarterbacks in the NFL in Peyton Manning (Indianapolis), Tom Brady (New England) and Drew Brees (New Orleans.)
"Everything is so even (in the NFL) because you only get seven draft choices a year, you have the salary cap and free agency. Look at Pittsburgh, they won the Super Bowl last year and didn't even make the playoffs this year."
College coaches have to deal with recruiting each season, but not the draft, salary cap or free agency. And the escalating salaries in the college game have enabled coaches like Stoops to make more money than some NFL coaches.
"Bob Stoops makes as much money at OU as he'd make in the NFL," Switzer said. "And he controls his own destiny.
"I've talked to Bob about this before and told him just what I told you -- the OU job is better than the Dallas Cowboys."
OU fans have to hope that when Switzer talked, Stoops listened.
