OU Football: Why Bob Stoops Deserves Coach Of The Year

Oklahoma Head Coach Bob Stoops has been named a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award. Stoops is one of eight finalists up for the honor and has been named a finalist for the award five times.

This year he led OU to an 11-1 season, a No. 3 ranking in College Football Playoff and a bowl game matchup with No. 1 Clemson (Orange Bowl, Dec. 31). He is currently the most winningest coach in Oklahoma history and won the award in 2000 after leading the Sooners to a national championship and an undefeated season.

The award was created in remembrance of former Grambling State University coach Eddie Robinson, and will be presented by the Football Writers Association of America on Jan. 9 in Scottsdale, Arizona. Robinson is the second winningest coach in NCAA Division I history and the third winningest coach overall.

Finalists

Dabo Swinney of Clemson

Tom Herman of Houston

Kirk Ferentz of Iowa

Mark Dantonio of Michigan State

Brian Kelly of Notre Dame

David Shaw of Stanford

Matt Ruhle of Temple

Not a single head coach in the Sooner books has produced more wins than Stoops (168), who surpassed Barry Switzer back in 2013. Oklahoma’s 100-game winners also include Bud Wilkinson and Bennie Owen.

Pointing out Stoops’ accomplishments isn’t difficult. Since Stoops took over the program, no team from a Power Five conference owns more wins than the Sooners. Under his direction, only three schools can boast longer active streaks of consecutive bowl berths while no coach in the game’s history has accumulated more victories over his first 16 seasons.