Coach Stoops,
So the day has finally come. I guess all good things must come to an end. First off I would like to thank you for your commitment to the Sooner program these past 18 years and restoring the once-proud program back to where it belongs. Each of your 150 wins (in 187 games) have been a joy to watch but I took great pleasure in watching your team launch an offensive assault that set the NCAA Division 1 record for single-season points with 716 in 2008. You made Oklahoma Memorial Stadium a tough place to play winning 101 out of the 110 home games you had including 39 straight. Each of your 10 Big 12 Championships has been special but nothing compares to the 2000 National Championship.
Your 18 straight bowl games and 14 ten-or-more win seasons have had Sooner fans spoiled. Of course, all of your accomplishments couldn’t have been reached without the quality talent you and your great staff brought in over the past 18 years. 37 first-team All-Americans, two AP Players of the Year, 79 NFL Draft picks, numerous award winners, seven Heisman finalists and two Heisman winners. The fact you reached 100 wins the fastest in college football history shouldn’t be a surprise.
You’re known as “Big game Bob” even though some say that sarcastically. There’s nothing sarcastic about a 60-30 record against AP Top 25 teams, 21 wins against AP Top 10 teams, and 11 wins against AP Top 5 teams. Not to mention that you’re the only coach during the BCS era to win every BCS Bowl and a National Championship (and play for three more). If that isn’t enough you also managed to have your team spend 30 weeks atop the AP poll and atop the BCS standings a nation-leading 20 weeks. If that isn’t enough to validate your moniker then I don’t know what is. Your domination of the SEC brought joy to football fans everywhere.
All of the on-field accomplishments are great but what you did off the field is important as well. Standing by your team when they protested in wake of the racist SAE video and even joining in brought a tear to my eye. The way you took care of your players is something we can all appreciate.
Coach, for the above-listed accomplishments, the joy and pride you not only brought to the university but to the state as well thank you. Thank you for leaving the program better than you found it. Thank you for the memories. Thank you, Coach Stoops, thank you.
Best regards,
A Sooner fan
