After giving up 54 points in a double overtime loss to Georgia in the Rose Bowl semifinal Monday night, including at least 145 yards rushing from both Georgia backs Sony Michel and Nick Chubb, there was no shortage of chatter regarding Mike Stoops' future with the Sooner program.
While talking to a small group of reporters today, Lincoln Riley gave his defensive coordinator a vote of confidence, according to NewsOK.
"Mike is a really good coach. I have a lot of confidence in him as I do our whole staff. To do what this staff and this program did this year with all the changes and all that, it’s unprecedented. People better remember that too."
"The coordinators, head coach and quarterback are the people who when you don’t win a game, they’re going to take a beating," Riley went on to explain, using their wins over TCU as a good example of how quickly people's opinions can change from praise to outrage.
Riley added that people can talk all they want, but as the leader of the program he doesn't have to listen to any of it.
"I’m sure all of us are taking a beating right now. That’s the good thing, is people can say it, but I don’t have to listen to it. That’s part of how it goes."
Mike Stoops has been Oklahoma's assistant head coach and defensive coordinator since 2012, joining his brother's staff following an eight year run as the head coach at Arizona. While in Tucson, he he went 41-50 with three bowl appearances.
To add to that, here's what we've been hearing among those in the profession:
Stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.