Vandy defensive coordinator Bob Shoop ready for challenge

When Bob Shoop accepted the Vanderbilt defensive coordinator position, it marks the eleventh job in his career. Shoop, the 2009 FootballScoop D1-AA Coordinator of the Year, has coached at Yale, UVA, Northeastern, Yale, Villanova, Army, Boston College, Columbia, UMASS, and William & Mary.

Coming to the SEC doesn’t intimidate Shoop, who says, "There isn’t anything from an X’s and O’s stand­point that I watched with the SEC teams that I hadn’t seen in the CAA. I’ve gone up against Chip Kelly when he was at New Hampshire. Last year we beat Dela­ware when they were No. 1 in the country. We beat Villa­nova when they were No. 1 in the country. We beat New Hampshire, who was a pla­yoff team. We beat Rich­mond, who was a pla­yoff team. We stood toe-to-toe with North Caro­lina (in a 21-17 loss this season).”

Shoop will work with other Vanderbilt defensive assistants Brent Pry (co-defensive coordinator / linebackers), Sean Spencer (defensive line), and Wesley McGriff (defensive backs).

"I’m not blind to the fact I’m in the SEC now,” says Shoop. “ I’m not blind to that fact. I’ve been pre­pa­ring my entire career for an oppor­tu­nity like this, and I feel as if I’m pre­pa­red. The thing I’d empha­size, too, is the CAA is the SEC of Divi­sion I-AA foot­ball. Year in, year out, we play five teams in the top 10 in our level of foot­ball. I keep remin­ding myself, just do the things you did there. This is no different."

“I have the best job in the country. I have no doubt about that. I’m in one of the grea­test cities in the country, at one of the top ins­ti­tu­tions in the country … and in the best college foot­ball con­fe­rence that there is. There is the NFL, there’s the SEC and there’s all else. Is this a tough job? Yes. But it’s a great oppor­tu­nity and I’m loo­king for­ward to it."

The 2011 non-conference schedule for Vanderbilt includes Elon, UCONN, Army, and at Wake Forest.