Bob Stoops closes chapter on coaching career after UFL stint

ARLINGTON, Texas — Former Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops, who led the Sooners to a national championship and 10 Big 12 titles during his 18 seasons, said Monday that he is retiring.

Stoops, 65, served as head coach of the UFL’s Dallas Renegades for the past four years.

“After much thought and reflection, I’ve made the decision to retire from coaching and step away from the game of football,” Stoops said in a statement released by the UFL. “Coaching has been one of the greatest honors of my life, and closing this chapter comes with lots of gratitude. …

“Thank you for allowing me to be part of this incredible game for so many years.”

Stoops posted a 191-48 record at Oklahoma, winning the 2000 BCS national championship. He retired from college coaching in 2017 but returned as the Sooners’ interim coach in 2021 when Lincoln Riley left for USC.

Stoops joined the XFL in 2019 and returned when the league restarted in 2021. In 2023, the Renegades won the XFL championship. He has coached the past two years in the rebranded UFL.