Former Oklahoma Sooners head coach Bob Stoops says he will be returning
Bob Stoops, the coach of the Arlington Renegades, is going through a shift with the league for the third time. The XFL was initially owned by two distinct parties, and the newly united UFL is currently governed by a joint force. The one thing that never changes? Steps.
He was appointed general manager and head coach in 2019 by the Vince McMahon-led XFL, and he received the Dallas Renegades’ franchise. Following an 18-year run as the Oklahoma Sooners’ coach from 1999 to 2016, this occurred.
In his tenure at Oklahoma, Stoops won ten conference championships, the 2000 national championship, two Walter Camp Coach of the Year honors, and the AP Coach of the Year title. During his tenure, he never concluded a season with a losing record.
The Renegades finished 2-3 in their first season in the XFL in 2020 before the COVID-19 outbreak forced the league to postpone the season. Prominent athletes include former Dallas Cowboys running back Lance Dunbar and Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Landry Jones.
Lincoln Riley left for the USC Trojans, and during the XFL’s ownership changeover, Stoops came back to Oklahoma for one game to coach the Sooners against the Oregon Ducks in the Alamo Bowl. In the end, the Sooners prevailed 47–32. With an overall record of 191-48, Stoops’ coaching career came to an official conclusion.
The rebranded Arlington Renegades finished 4-6 in the regular season when the XFL returned in 2023. The club advanced to the playoffs after placing second in the South Division, where it would go on a tear. Arlington unexpectedly won the XFL Championship after defeating the Houston Roughnecks and the D.C. Defenders.
