Bob Stoops Is Refusing To Do Interviews Before Oklahoma vs. Tennessee
09/17/2024 12:14 PM
Two famed members of Bob Stoops' 2000 Oklahoma Sooners national championship team square off this weekend as the Sooners host the Tennessee Volunteers.
Oklahoma are headed by Brent Venables, who was Stoops' defensive coordinator in 2000 and for the next decade afterwards. Tennessee, meanwhile, are run by Josh Heupel, who quarterbacked those Sooners to a 13-0 record and finished second in the Heisman Trophy voting that year.
No doubt Stoops is torn over who to root for between two men he's extremely close with and fond of.
But on Sunday he made it clear that he will not answer any questions about who he's rooting for. Taking to X, he announced that he will not do any interviews or field any questions about the Oklahoma-Tennessee game but wishes both Venables and Heupel luck moving forward.
"Having a strong history with both Brent Venables and Josh Heupel as players/coaches has led to far too many requests for interviews – so I'm respectfully declining them all. All attention needs to be on those two coaches & their programs," Stoops wrote on X.
"I have great respect for both coaches. I'm grateful for their great work here at OU; Brent as a coach here for 13 years including our national championship in 2000. Josh as our 2000 national championship QB & coach for 10 years. I've often said he is the MVP of all my recruits because he was the catalyst that got us started in '99."
"I wish them both great success moving forward! But in the end I'm all – Boomer Sooner!"
#OUDNA#Boomerpic.twitter.com/4sQDsBGmiR
— Bob Stoops (@CoachBobStoops) September 16, 2024
Fans in the comments are giving Stoops plenty of props for deciding not to play up or put down either of the men who helped him achieve greatness in 2000.
That said, there are more than a few Vols fans who took the opportunity to troll him regardless - particularly over his misspelling of Heupel's name.
"Bob can't even spell the name of the player that is the sole reason he won a national title. Saturday is gonna be fun for the team in Orange," one user replied.
"You may not have, but in Heupel we trust. Also, at least get our coach's name right. I don't know who Huepel is," wrote another.
"Can't even spell Josh's name right," a third remarked.
The game is this Saturday at 7:30 pm ET and will air on ABC.
Related: Photo: Bob Stoops Came Back To The Field To Congratulate Former Assistant Brent Venables
