Oklahoma regents approve Stoops' contract extension

<br>(Norman, Oklahoma-AP) -- A former Hawkeye football player some Iowa fans wanted to coach at Iowa, has received a contract extension at Oklahoma through the 2005 season that could raise his annual pay

Thursday, September 14th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

(Norman, Oklahoma-AP) -- A former Hawkeye football player some Iowa fans wanted to coach at Iowa, has received a contract extension at Oklahoma through the 2005 season that could raise his annual pay up to one (m) million dollars.

Oklahoma's athletic director Joe Castiglione (cah-stil-YO'-neh) says the university wanted to demonstrate the tremendous confidence it has in football coach Bob Stoops.

The compensation package includes deferred benefits of 150-thousand dollars if Stoops remains head coach through 2004.

Performance incentives were increased to a maximum 200-thousand dollars a year.

Stoops joined the Sooners in December 1998 after serving as Florida's defensive coordinator. He inherited a program that had not had a winning season since 1993. The Sooners are now two-and-Oh and ranked number 18 after a seven-and-five season in 1999 that saw the team go to the Independence Bowl.