Bob Stoops
The coach who resurrected a sleeping college football giant, turning Oklahoma into a relentless national powerhouse for nearly two decades.
Born 1960 (age 66)·American football player and coach·Birthday: September 9·Baby Boomers
Biography
When Bob Stoops arrived in Norman in 1999, the Oklahoma Sooners football program was adrift, a former champion mired in mediocrity. With a swagger that matched his sharp defensive mind, Stoops engineered one of the swiftest and most complete turnarounds in the sport's history. Just two seasons in, his 2000 team, led by a ferocious defense, rampaged through the schedule and crushed Florida State in the Orange Bowl to claim the national championship. That victory announced Oklahoma's return to the elite, a position Stoops maintained with remarkable consistency. His teams, known for their explosive offensive innovations under coordinators like Mike Leach and Lincoln Riley, won ten Big 12 championships. Nicknamed 'Big Game Bob' for his early success in major contests, Stoops built a culture of expectation, demanding toughness and accountability. His decision to step down in 2017 after 18 seasons cemented a legacy defined not by a single title, but by restoring and sustaining a standard of excellence that made Oklahoma a perennial destination for the nation's best talent.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Bob was born in 1960, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Bob Was Born
The biggest hits of 1960
#1 Movie
Swiss Family Robinson
Best Picture
The Apartment
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Bob's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1960Born
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1965Started school
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1973Became a teenager
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1976Could drive
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1978Could vote
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1981Turned 21
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1990Turned 30
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
2000Turned 40
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2010Turned 50
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2020Turned 60
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 66 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Led the Oklahoma Sooners to the 2000 BCS National Championship with a 13-0 record.
- Won ten Big 12 Conference championships during his tenure as head coach.
- Became the winningest coach in Oklahoma football history with 191 victories.
- Coached the Dallas Renegades to the XFL championship in the league's 2023 season.
Did You Know?
He comes from a family of coaches; his brothers Mike and Mark have both been longtime college football defensive coordinators.
Stoops was a starting defensive back at the University of Iowa under coach Hayden Fry.
He briefly came out of retirement to coach Oklahoma in the 2021 Alamo Bowl, leading them to a victory.
“You don't flinch. You don't flinch in anything you do.”
