Just because a super-successful college coach buys a second Gold Coast home a month before surprisingly retiring doesn't mean he's angling to be the next head coach of the Bears.
That's the angle some are wondering about since Bob Stoops retired June 7 after nearly two decades in charge of the Oklahoma Sooners football program, which he guided to one national championship. The 56-year-old Stoops paid $2.25 million for a Gold Coast property in May, the Tribune reported, and it happens to be next door to one he has owned since 2006 and used as a vacation property.
The Bears have gone 9-23 under coach John Fox, who enters Year 3 under pressure to succeed. Combine Stoops' real estate maneuvers, his free agency in the coaching profession and the Bears' ongoing struggles and you have a hot take.
It's one that Stoops shot down Tuesday on KYAL-FM 97.1 in Tulsa.
"That's a simple deal," Stoops said, according to the Tulsa World. "I got one that fits our style and ... our family better, and I'm going to sell the other one. I'm not looking to coach in Chicago."
Stoops and his wife have long enjoyed the city. Even if Stoops was interested in coaching the Bears, buying property in a chic neighborhood isn't going to help or hurt his cause if the organization is seeking a new coach after the 2017 season.
Fox's contract runs through the 2018 season, but if the Bears get off to a slow start, there's little doubt his job status will become a hot topic of conversation. And if that happens, prepare for there to be a lot more names linked to the Bears, whether they're homeowners in the area or not.
College coaches with potential NFL aspirations will be linked to the Bears. Hot coordinators will be mentioned as will out-of-work former head coaches and those with past ties to general manager Ryan Pace.
Who knows? Maybe Stoops' name will resurface months from now, but it's silly to think he's eyeing an office at Halas Hall right now.
