Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sport
Joseph Salvador

Bob Stoops 'Disappointed' About Lincoln Riley’s Departure

After Lincoln Riley's shock departure from Oklahoma, former coach Bob Stoops, who will serve as interim coach, was asked about how he felt when he heard the news.

"I'm not much on talking about my feelings or thoughts publicly on any of that," Stoops said. "Disappointed? Sure. The rest of it, that'd be between Lincoln and I, personally. As it should be. I'm not much on making that kind of stuff public." 

Riley served as offensive coordinator under Stoops back when he was coach of the Sooners. Stoops retired in 2017 and played a role in the selection of Riley to replace him as head coach. Stoops has been serving in a part-time special assistant role within the program.

Riley was named USC's new coach Sunday after initially being linked to the LSU coaching job. Since the news became official, the Sooners have already lost several recruits. But Stoops was adamant that Oklahoma will remain a top destination for both coaches and players. 

"They [players] are OU football," Stoops said. "They very well [could] be a championship program next year. We will attract the very best in the coaching profession. And the same thing is projected [for] our recruiting."

For more Oklahoma news, head over to All Sooners

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.