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Will He Stay or Will He Go? January 5, 2002 by Jason Waganer Executive Editor
Uncertainty. This word easily describes the feeling many Sooner fans are struggling with this weekend. Yesterday afternoon Florida Gator head coach Steve Spurrier announced his resignation, immediately giving way to speculation that OU chief Bob Stoops would become the next Gator head coach.
In three years at Oklahoma, Stoops has compiled a record of 31-7, a national championship, a conference championship and three bowl appearances. It is easy to see why Sooner fans will be sick at their stomachs if indeed Stoops does pack his bags for the Sunshine State.
So will he go? Let's examine a list of pros and cons to taking the Florida job.
Pro: Florida is the cream of the crop for high school football talent in the U.S. So it should be easier to recruit the high profile Florida prepsters to Gatorland.
Con: Florida has to compete annually with the two other juggernauts in college football in the same state. As a matter-a-fact, one could argue that the Florida program is currently the third best program in the state. After all, the other two have won national championships since Florida last made a trip to the national championship game.
Pro: Stoops knows the state of Florida, having coached at UF before coming to Oklahoma. He owns a condo near Gainesville and enjoyed his tenure as a Gator defensive coordinator.
Con: Stoops has many times said he enjoys living in Norman and feels he has one of the best football jobs in America. OU gave Stoops his first head coaching opportunity and he's already proved he can win a national championship.
Pro: If Stoops takes the Florida job, it will probably mean his brother Mike will get a big time head coaching opportunity as his successor at OU.
Con: Leaving OU now would probably mean this is the last time Bob and Mike Stoops would ever work together on the same football team.
Pro: Florida is in the SEC, a wealthier conference with arguably better national media exposure.
Con: If Stoops goes to Florida, he has to play Tennessee and Florida State every year not to mention the other talented teams in the SEC. If he stays in the Big 12, Stoops only has to play Texas every year. Nebraska, Colorado and Kansas State rotate every two years.
Pro: Stoops can win a national championship at Florida next season with a Gator team that returns mucho talent including Heisman Trophy finalist Rex Grossman.
Con: Stoops will be following a legend at Florida. If he stumbles over the next few seasons, Gator fans and media won't be as lenient as they might have been on Spurrier. After all, who were the Florida Gators before Steve Spurrier?
Okay, Okay that's enough of the pros and cons. So what do you think now, does he stay or does he go? My gut says he stays, but only because Stoops has proven loyalty is important to him so far in his career. But if he does go, and he definitely might, it will be because of pro number three from above. If there's one trait he's shown to believe in more than loyalty, it's brotherhood. Bob Stoops knows that if he leaves for Gainesville, his brother will most likely be the new Sooner head honcho.
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