Mike Stoops is out as Oklahoma's defensive coordinator, according to multiple reports out of Oklahoma. James Hale of The Football Brainiacs first reported the news. FootballScoop can confirm the news.
https://twitter.com/tfb_sooners/status/1049098717381443592?s=12
The news comes 24 hours after the Sooners were upset by Texas in a 48-45 loss in the Red River Showdown. The Longhorns gashed the Sooners for 501 yards of total offense and 27 first downs in the game; sophomore quarterback Sam Ehlinger had a career best day, accounting for 386 total yards and five touchdowns.
Of course, the move is about more than one game, and Oklahoma's defense has been trending in this direction for the past year-plus.
The Sooners sported one of college football's most explosive offenses of all-time in 2017, but were undone in a Rose Bowl loss to Georgia in which the Bulldogs ripped off 54 points and 527 yards on 8.37 yards per play.
Lincoln Riley brought back Stoops and the defensive staff for another season, but the Sooners failed to show improvement through the first half of the season. Following Saturday's loss, the 11th-ranked Sooners place 107th in passing defense and 79th in scoring defense.
This was Stoops's second tenure as Oklahoma's defensive coordinator. He served as older brother Bob's assistant head coach, defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach on his original staff, helping the Sooners to the 2000 national championship, two Big 12 titles and an appearance in the BCS National Championship before taking the Arizona head coaching job ahead of the 2004 season. Stoops went 41-50 in eight seasons in Tucson, then returned to Norman in 2012.
As always, stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.