A number of reports have indicated that Florida State is closing in on an agreement that would make Bob Stoops its next head football coach, but Seminoles fans may want to wait before they get too excited about the possibility.
Alison Posey of WTXL ABC 27 in Tallahassee reported on Monday night that Florida State is “really close” to a deal with Stoops and could announce the hire as early as the end of this week. However, Bruce Feldman of The Athletic has been given different information, with two sources close to Stoops telling him they are “skeptical” Stoops would take the FSU job.
RE: Bob Stoops/FSU report> Last night I spoke to a two people very close to him who were really skeptical he'd want to come back to being a college coach and take that job. It wouldn’t surprise me that #FSU boosters would want—and try to pursue him though. https://t.co/GyBrKeEC4l
— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) November 5, 2019
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A short while later, Feldman more confidently reported that Stoops is not a candidate for the Florida State job, though his brother Mark Stoops could be.
Bob Stoops (who has turned down some other good FBS coaching opportunities the last couple years) is NOT a candidate for the #FSU coaching vacancy but two coaches very close to him should be–Mark Stoops and Mike Leach: https://t.co/GyBrKen0FL
— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) November 5, 2019
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ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit also spoke with Stoops, and Stoops told him he has not spoken to anyone at Florida State and is “not a candidate.”
Stoops announced earlier this year that he has accepted a job as general manager and head coach of the XFL’s Dallas franchise, though he could probably back out of that fairly easily if he decided to accept a high-profile college coaching position. Florida State would almost certainly be able to pay him significantly more than he will make in the XFL.
Stoops, who is now 59, enjoyed great success at Oklahoma before he stepped down following the 2016 season. He finished with a record of 190-48 in 18 seasons at Oklahoma and won a national championship in 2000. There was a time when he was the highest-paid coach in college football, and he has been the subject of both NFL and college coaching rumors over the past several years. Stoops said back in 2017 that he had no plans to return to the sideline.
Florida State fired Willie Taggart over the weekend after he spent less than two seasons with the team. We have already heard some big names linked to the job, and you can understand why FSU boosters would want Stoops. However, it does not sound like the interest is mutual.
