Legendary Coach Bob Stoops Rejoins Oklahoma as Senior Advisor, Aiming to Guide Team Through SEC Transition**
**Norman, OK | May 3, 2025 | By Mason Turner, College Football Now**
In a stunning and celebratory announcement that has electrified the Sooner Nation, **Bob Stoops**, the legendary former head coach of the Oklahoma Sooners, is officially **returning to the program** in a new role as **Senior Football Advisor**. His re-entry into the fold comes at a crucial time as Oklahoma prepares for its **historic full-time transition into the SEC** in the 2025 college football season.
The move, confirmed by both Oklahoma Athletic Director Joe Castiglione and Head Coach Brent Venables, is already being hailed as a **game-changing decision** that could strengthen the Sooners’ ability to compete in the most powerful and unforgiving conference in college football.
> *“Bob Stoops is synonymous with winning, leadership, and Oklahoma football,”* said Castiglione. *“As we enter the SEC, there is no better voice, no better mind, and no better presence to help guide this program through this defining moment.”*
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### THE RETURN OF A LEGEND
Stoops, who **coached the Sooners from 1999 to 2016**, compiling a record of **190–48** and winning **10 Big 12 Championships and the 2000 National Title**, left an indelible legacy. He remains the **winningest coach in program history**, and his impact still resonates deeply within every level of the university’s athletic department.
The 63-year-old Stoops, who most recently made headlines for stepping in as interim coach during the 2021 Alamo Bowl (a game Oklahoma won handily), has stayed close to the program through his support of former assistants like Lincoln Riley and Brent Venables. But his return in an official capacity signals a full-circle moment — and a commitment to **legacy meeting the future**.
> *“This university gave me everything,”* Stoops said at Friday’s press conference. *“Now I get to give something back. I’m not here to take over — I’m here to lend every ounce of knowledge, support, and insight I have to help OU thrive in the SEC.”*
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### ROLE AND IMPACT: STRATEGY, CULTURE, SEC READINESS
Stoops’ role as Senior Advisor won’t include any on-field coaching or recruiting duties, but insiders say his influence will be **felt throughout the program**, especially in **strategic planning, organizational structure, SEC game preparation, and mentoring coaches and staff**.
According to Coach Venables, who served under Stoops for more than a decade, the move came from mutual conversations and a shared desire to see Oklahoma rise to the top in their new conference home.
> *“Coach Stoops knows what winning looks like. He built it here. Having him with us during this transition — from schedule planning to game preparation — will be invaluable,”* Venables said. *“He’s not here to rewrite the playbook. He’s here to make sure our foundation holds as we take on the toughest challenge in college football.”*
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### WHY NOW? THE SEC FACTOR
Oklahoma’s move to the **Southeastern Conference** has been a long-anticipated, game-altering decision. With traditional powers like **Alabama, Georgia, LSU, and Florida** as regular opponents, the pressure to perform — and to build a program that can withstand a grueling SEC slate — has never been higher.
The Sooners are coming off a rebuilding period under Venables, finishing the 2024 season with a 9–4 record, showing flashes of elite play but falling short in marquee matchups. With Texas A\&M, Georgia, and Ole Miss slated for early-season matchups in 2025, Stoops’ arrival could bring **stability, institutional knowledge, and a winning mindset**.
> *“The SEC is a beast. Bob Stoops has slain beasts before,”* said college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit. *“This is a move that shows Oklahoma isn’t coming to just participate in the SEC — they’re coming to win it.”*
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### FAN REACTION: “LIKE GETTING FAMILY BACK”
The announcement was met with roaring approval from fans, many of whom still wear Stoops-era jerseys and regard his tenure as the **golden era of modern Sooners football**.
Within minutes, “BOOMER IS BACK” and “#StoopsReturns” were trending on social media. The university’s official announcement video — featuring Stoops walking the tunnel at Memorial Stadium — racked up over 1 million views in under six hours.
> *“It feels like our roots are coming home,”* said OU alum Jackie Denton, who attended the 2000 national championship game. *“We’ve got a modern team and an old-school winner guiding them. What more could you ask for?”*
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### WHAT’S NEXT: A NEW ERA OF LEADERSHIP
With the 2025 spring practices wrapped up and summer training soon to begin, Stoops is expected to **attend strategy meetings, review practice film, and consult on long-term player development and SEC competition cycles**.
He will also be available to athletic department leadership as a “football culture and operations consultant,” according to OU’s internal documents.
> *“I’ll be where I’m needed,”* Stoops told reporters. *“If that means watching film with linebackers, or talking about identity with the head coach, or giving pointers to our analysts — I’m in.”*
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### LEGACY CONTINUES
Bob Stoops returning to Oklahoma is more than just a sentimental reunion — it’s a powerful alignment of experience and ambition. His presence will provide reassurance to the fans, wisdom to the staff, and urgency to the players.
He already left his mark on the program once. Now, he returns not to relive the past — but to **help write the next great chapter**.
As the Oklahoma Sooners brace for their inaugural full season in the SEC, with road games in Baton Rouge and Athens on the horizon, they do so with a steady hand back in the building — one that knows what it takes to win it all.
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**Welcome back, Coach Stoops. Boomer Sooner never sounded so good.**
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