View source for Mike Stoops

{{Short description|American football player and coach (born 1961)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2024}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
|name= Mike Stoops
| currentteam = Kentucky Wildcats
|image=
|number=
|position=[[Inside linebacker]]s coach 
|birth_date={{Birth date and age|1961|12|13}}
| birth_place = [[Youngstown, Ohio]], U.S.
|height_ft=6
|height_in=1 
|weight_lbs=182 
|high_school=[[Cardinal Mooney High School (Ohio)|Cardinal Mooney]]
|college=[[Iowa Hawkeyes football|Iowa]] 
|undraftedyear=1985
|pastteams=
* [[Chicago Bears]] ({{NFL Year|1985}})*
* [[Atlanta Falcons]] ({{NFL Year|1986}})*
* [[Pittsburgh Gladiators]] (1987)
* Chicago Bears ({{NFL Year|1987}})
| pastcoaching        =
* [[Iowa Hawkeyes football|Iowa]] (1986–1987)<br>Graduate assistant 
* Iowa (1991)<br>Linebackers & defensive backs coach 
* [[Kansas State Wildcats football|Kansas State]] (1992–1995)<br>Defensive ends coach 
* Kansas State (1996)<br>Co-defensive coordinator & defensive ends coach
* Kansas State (1997)<br>Co-defensive coordinator & defensive backs coach 
* Kansas State (1998)<br>Assistant head coach, co-defensive coordinator & defensive backs coach 
* [[Oklahoma Sooners football|Oklahoma]] (1999–2003)<br>Associate head coach, co-defensive coordinator & defensive backs coach 
* [[Arizona Wildcats football|Arizona]] (2004–2011)<br>Head coach 
* Oklahoma (2012–2018)<br>Associate head coach, co-defensive coordinator & defensive backs coach 
* [[Alabama Crimson Tide football|Alabama]] (2019–2020)<br>Defensive analyst
* [[Florida Atlantic Owls football|Florida Atlantic]] (2021)<br>Defensive coordinator 
* [[Kentucky Wildcats football|Kentucky]] (2022–present)<br>Inside linebackers coach 
|highlights =
* National champion ([[2021 College Football Playoff National Championship|2020]])
* 2× First-team [[List of All-Big Ten Conference football teams|All-Big Ten]] ([[1983 All-Big Ten Conference football team|1983]], [[1984 All-Big Ten Conference football team|1984]])
}}
'''Michael Joseph Stoops''' (born December 13, 1961) is an American [[college football]] coach and former player. He is the [[inside linebacker]]s coach for the [[University of Kentucky]], a position he has held since 2022. Stoops also served as the head football coach at the [[University of Arizona]] from 2003 until his firing during the 2011 season.  He previously served as an assistant football coach at the [[University of Iowa]], [[Kansas State University]], and [[University of Oklahoma]].  He is the younger brother of [[Bob Stoops]], the former head coach of the [[Oklahoma Sooners football]] program, and the older brother of [[Mark Stoops]], head coach of the [[Kentucky Wildcats football]] program. He returned to Oklahoma as the [[defensive coordinator]] in 2012. He served in the position until he was fired on October 7, 2018. After spending time at the [[University of Alabama]] as an analyst, he spent one season as the defensive coordinator of the [[Florida Atlantic Owls football|Florida Atlantic Owls]] in 2021.

==Early life and playing career==
Stoops is one of six children born to Ron Sr. and Evelyn "Dee Dee" Stoops in [[Youngstown, Ohio]].  He attended [[Cardinal Mooney High School (Youngstown, Ohio)|Cardinal Mooney High School]] in [[Youngstown, Ohio]], where his father was an assistant football coach and defensive coordinator.

After high school Stoops attended the [[University of Iowa]] and played for the [[Iowa Hawkeyes football|Hawkeyes]] (1982–1984) as a [[Safety (American football position)|strong safety]]. He played on the same team with [[quarterback]] [[Chuck Long]] and was a two-time all-[[Big Ten Conference]] selection.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/big10/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/2007bigtenfbguide.pdf|title=2007 Big Ten Media Guide|pages=93|access-date=July 11, 2008|archive-date=October 26, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181026093428/http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/big10/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/2007bigtenfbguide.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Stoops was signed as a free agent in May 1985 by the [[Chicago Bears]] of the [[National Football League]] (NFL),<ref>"OCU Move Ending Women's Loop". – [[Associated Press]] – (c/o ''[[The Oklahoman|Daily Oklahoman]]''). – May 15, 1985.</ref> but was cut on August 27.<ref>Pierson, Don. – "Buford Ousts Finzer as Bears Cut 10". – ''[[Chicago Tribune]]''. – August 28, 1985.</ref>  In February 1986 he signed as a free agent with the [[Atlanta Falcons]],<ref>Mortensen, Chris. – "Falcons can't hold off on a QB". – ''[[The Atlanta Journal-Constitution]]''. – February 16, 1986.</ref> but he missed the Falcons May 9–15 minicamp with a ruptured gall bladder from an auto accident<ref>Mortensen, Chris. – SPORTS NOTEBOOKS: "Plenty of '86 season tickets remain" – ''[[The Atlanta Journal-Constitution]]''. – April 22, 1986.</ref> and was later cut by Atlanta.

In the summer of 1987, Stoops became one of the original 80 [[Arena Football League (1987–2008)|Arena Football League]] (AFL) players when he suited up for the [[Pittsburgh Gladiators]].  Stoops was a key member of the Gladiators that season who went on to play in the [[ArenaBowl I|inaugural ArenaBowl]], losing to [[Denver Dynamite (arena football)|Denver]], 45–16. He was named Second-team [[All-Arena]] in [[1987 All-Arena Team|1987]].

Stoops took time off from his job as a [[graduate assistant]] at Iowa to play as a replacement player for a limited time in 1987 with the Chicago Bears during the [[National Football League Players Association#The 1987 strike and desertification|NFL strike]].<ref name=BierigJ-CST-1987-11-23>Bierig, Joel. –  "Dreams of glory are long since gone – Spare Bears really cared". – ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]''. – November 23, 1987.</ref><ref>"Meet the Scab Bears". – ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]''. – September 24, 1987.</ref>  Wearing #44, he played safety in three games with the Bears that year, suffering a concussion in an October 4 victory (35–3) against the [[Philadelphia Eagles]].<ref>Pompei, Dan. – "Teams get early start, miss pickets". – ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]''. – October 5, 1987.</ref>  Other former Iowa players who were members of the [[National Football League Players Association]] had harsh words for Stoops.  He responded, "I don't give a damn what they think. I wasn't trying to hurt anybody, and deep down, I think they know that.  But if they feel that way, fine, don't ever talk to me again".<ref name=BierigJ-CST-1987-11-23 />

Returning to the Arena Football League, in the six-game AFL regular season, Stoops caught 22 passes, scored three touchdowns, made 15 tackles and recorded an interception, playing both [[wide receiver]] and [[defensive back]] positions.

==Coaching career==
===Early coaching===
Stoops held assistant coaching positions at the [[University of Iowa]], [[Kansas State University]] and the [[University of Oklahoma]]. With his hiring by Arizona in November 2003, Stoops became the school's youngest coach at hiring at age 41, since [[Larry Smith (American football coach)|Larry Smith]].<ref>[https://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/football/pac10/2003-11-29-arizona-stoops_x.htm ''Arizona hires Oklahoma's Mike Stoops'' USA Today, November 29, 2003]</ref> Upon taking over, he hired his brother, University of Miami defensive backs coach [[Mark Stoops]], as defensive coordinator. Stoops then followed and hired [[Texas Tech Red Raiders football|Texas Tech]] co-offensive coordinator [[Sonny Dykes]] after the 2006 season. Dykes, named as winner of the All-American Football Foundation's Mike Campbell Top Assistant Award and later head coach at [[Louisiana Tech Bulldogs football|Louisiana Tech]], [[California Golden Bears football|California]] and [[SMU Mustangs football|SMU]], has been cited as one of the country's brightest offensive minds and top ten college recruiters by Rivals.com.

===Arizona===

After going 6–6 in 2006, the Wildcats lost three of their first four games in 2007, including a 29–27 loss at home to [[2007 New Mexico Lobos football team|New Mexico]]. In that game, Stoops gained a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for his behavior on the sideline, which led to a New Mexico touchdown. Following a 2007, 21–20 home loss to [[2007 Stanford Cardinal football team|Stanford]], dropping the team to 2–6, local media began speculating as to whether Stoops would be fired.<ref>[http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/hansen/207467 '' As year careens downhill, expect some heads to roll'' by Greg Hansen, Arizona Daily Star, October 21, 2007] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080106194939/http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/hansen/207467 |date=January 6, 2008 }}</ref><ref>[http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/sports/articles/1023uagimino1023.html '' Dark days for Wildcats football'' by Anthony Gimino, The Arizona Republic, October 23, 2007]</ref> However, subsequent statements by the athletic director and the university's president indicated that Stoops would return for an additional season.<ref>{{cite news | title=Resurgent Wildcats sticking with Stoops | url=http://www.gvnews.com/articles/2007/11/08/sports/sports02.txt | publisher=Green Valley News | date=November 8, 2007 | access-date=November 15, 2007 | first=Nick | last=Prevenas }}</ref> At the beginning of the season, many believed this to be the year Stoops and the Wildcats would reach their first college bowl game in a decade; a winning season was considered a must in order for Stoops to remain as Wildcats head coach.<ref>[http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/ss/related/91893  "Gimino: No wiggle room for Stoops", Anthony Gimino, Tucson Citizen, July 24, 2008]</ref> Under the direction of Stoops, Arizona scored 70 points in the season opener against the [[2008 Idaho Vandals football team|Idaho Vandals]], falling just four points short of a school record for points scored in a game. They went on to soundly defeat [[Toledo Rockets football|Toledo]], [[2008 UCLA Bruins football team|UCLA]], [[2008 UCLA Bruins football team|Washington]], and [[2008 California Golden Bears football team|California]], but lost close games to [[2008 New Mexico Lobos football team|New Mexico]] and [[2008 Stanford Cardinal football team|Stanford]]. They went on to defeat [[2008 Washington State Cougars football team|Washington State]] on the road to secure bowl eligibility at six wins, but lost to [[2008 Oregon Ducks football team|Oregon]] on the road after mounting a dramatic second-half come-from-behind rally, and to [[2008 Oregon State Beavers football team|Oregon State]] in Tucson on a last-second field goal.  The Wildcats' final game of the regular season was a 31–10 victory on December 6 in Tucson against [[2008 Arizona State Sun Devils football team|Arizona State]] in the annual [[Territorial Cup]] rivalry game. With that win and a final regular season record of 7–5, Arizona accepted a bid from to the [[2008 Las Vegas Bowl|Las Vegas Bowl]] to face [[2008 BYU Cougars football team|BYU]].  It was the Wildcats' first bowl appearance since the [[1998 Holiday Bowl]]. Stoops' reputation in Tucson was mixed; while the Wildcats had a winning record and appeared in and won their first bowl game in ten years, many fans were divided during the season on whether he should be retained as head coach, as they expected Stoops to guide the team to an eight, nine or even ten-win season given the talent level and the offensive and defensive systems employed by the Wildcats (and with the overall talent level in the [[Pacific-10 Conference|Pac-10]] conference perceived to be not as strong as usual in 2008). While Stoops brought the Wildcat football program to a level of respectability which was lost during the era of [[John Mackovic]], some fans were disappointed the program was not at the elite level of Stoops' former program [[Oklahoma Sooners football|Oklahoma]] or of perennial Pac-10 football power [[USC Trojans football|USC]].<ref>[http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/ss/football/103823.php  "Critics not bowled over by UA"; John Moredich, Tucson Citizen, Nov. 28, 2008]</ref> However, Stoops was given strong votes of confidence by UA (later [[University of Nevada, Las Vegas|UNLV]]) athletic director [[Jim Livengood]], by university president Dr. Robert Shelton, and by several prominent Arizona football boosters.<ref>[http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/daily/frontpage/104275.php "UA football boosters still believe in Stoops", John Moredich, Tucson Citizen, December 4, 2008]</ref>

On December 18, Stoops was rumored to be a candidate for the [[Iowa State Cyclones football|Iowa State]] head coaching job, which eventually went to [[Auburn Tigers football|Auburn]] assistant [[Paul Rhoads]].<ref>[62andeven.com]</ref> On December 20, Arizona defeated BYU in the Las Vegas Bowl. On December 23, Stoops was given a contract extension through the 2013 season by Livengood.

"We're very pleased with the progress of Arizona football under Mike's direction," Livengood said. "His personal growth as a coach has been outstanding and we’re glad to continue moving forward with him as the steward for Arizona football."

Stoops said on the news of his extension, "I'm very excited about the extension...The administration always has shown a commitment to what we’re doing, and this bolsters that support...We’re working hard to build stability and the commitment from Jim and the university at this time will go a long way to solidify that effort. I’m happy to be here in Tucson for a long time as head coach of our Wildcats. This is where my family wants to be."<ref>[http://www.azcentral.com/sports/ua/articles/2008/12/23/20081223uastoops.html "UA's Stoops to extend through 2013", azcentral.com, December 23, 2008]</ref>

The Wildcats compiled an 8–4 (6–3) record in the 2009 regular season, which earned them a share of second place in the Pac-10 and a bid to the [[2009 Holiday Bowl|Holiday Bowl]]. Stoops was named a semifinalist for the [[George Munger Award]],<ref>[http://www.arizonawildcats.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/110409aaa.html "Stoops a Semifinalist for National Coach of Year ", Arizona Athletics, November 4, 2009] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091107201731/http://www.arizonawildcats.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/110409aaa.html |date=November 7, 2009 }}</ref> but was not named a finalist.

The Wildcats compiled a 7–5 (4–5) record in the 2010 regular season, which earned them a seventh-place finish in the Pac-10 and a bid to the [[2010 Alamo Bowl (December)|Alamo Bowl]].  This bid was due, in part, to only four Pac-10 teams being bowl eligible after [[2010 USC Trojans football team|USC]] was sanctioned from bowl eligibility, and [[2010 Arizona State Sun Devils football team|Arizona State]] was denied a bowl waiver from the [[National Collegiate Athletic Association|NCAA]], which it needed because two of ASU's wins came against [[NCAA Division I Football Championship|FCS]] teams.  Both USC and Arizona State finished higher than Arizona in the Pac-10 standings.  [[2010 Oregon Ducks football team|Oregon]] and [[2010 Stanford Cardinal football team|Stanford]] were selected for BCS bowls, and the [[2011 Rose Bowl|Rose Bowl]] selected an at large team, [[2010 TCU Horned Frogs football team|TCU]], to pair with the Big Ten champion, [[2010 Wisconsin Badgers football team|Wisconsin]], leaving the second highest Pac-10 affiliated bowl game, the Alamo Bowl, to choose between Arizona and Washington.

The Wildcats started the 2011 season losing five of their six games, and their first four games in the newly expanded Pac-12 Conference. After a loss on the road to previously winless [[2011 Oregon State Beavers football team|Oregon State]], Stoops was relieved of his duties on October 10, 2011, with the announcement made by athletic director [[Gregory Byrne|Greg Byrne]]. Co-defensive coordinator [[Tim Kish]] was named as interim head coach. Stoops received a $1.4 million buyout from Arizona.<ref>[https://www.espn.com/blog/ncfnation/post/_/id/49346/mike-stoops-is-out-why-and-whats-next Mike Stoops is out: Why and what's next?]</ref>

===Return to Oklahoma===
On January 11, 2012, Stoops returned to OU as co-defensive coordinator. He was to be teamed with [[Brent Venables]], who shortly left to become the defensive coordinator at [[Clemson Tigers football|Clemson]].  Kish was soon after named as Oklahoma's linebackers coach.<ref>{{cite news |title=Mike Stoops gets 3-year, $1.8M deal at Oklahoma |url=http://newsok.com/article/feed/339613 |newspaper=The Oklahoman |date=January 24, 2012 |access-date=February 1, 2012}}</ref> When his brother retired at the end of the 2016 season, Stoops was retained by his successor, [[Lincoln Riley]].

In October 2018, Stoops was fired from his position as defensive coordinator shortly after losing to Texas (48–45).<ref>{{cite news |title= BREAKING: Mike Stoops out as defensive coordinator |url=https://247sports.com/college/oklahoma/Article/BREAKING-Mike-Stoops-out-as-defensive-coordinator-123040901/ |website= 247sports.com |agency= OUInsider |date=October 7, 2018 |access-date=October 7, 2018}}</ref>

===Alabama===
[[Nick Saban]] hired Stoops to be on his coaching staff as an analyst for the 2019 season. [[Mark Stoops]], his brother, offered him a position as an assistant coach at [[Kentucky Wildcats football|Kentucky]] for the 2020 season. He declined the position and stayed at [[Alabama Crimson Tide football|Alabama]] as an analyst.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.al.com/alabamafootball/2020/03/mike-stoops-declines-position-at-kentucky-from-brother-to-remain-alabama-analyst-mark-stoops-says.html|title = Mark Stoops reacts to Mike Stoops staying at Alabama|date = March 3, 2020}}</ref> Alabama would go on to win the National Championship that season.

===Florida Atlantic===
On January 28, 2021, it was announced that [[Willie Taggart]] had hired Stoops to be the defensive coordinator for [[Florida Atlantic Owls football|Florida Atlantic]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/30795675/florida-atlantic-owls-hiring-former-arizona-head-coach-alabama-analyst-mike-stoops-dc |title=Florida Atlantic Owls hiring former Arizona coach, Alabama analyst Mike Stoops as DC |last=Rittenberg |first=Adam |date=January 28, 2021 |website=[[ESPN]] |access-date=January 28, 2021 |quote=}}</ref>

===Kentucky===
On January 7, 2022, [[Mark Stoops]], his brother, hired him as linebackers coach at [[Kentucky Wildcats football|Kentucky]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hale |first=Jon |date=January 7, 2022 |title=Report: Mark Stoops to hire brother Mike as Kentucky football linebackers coach |url=https://www.courier-journal.com/story/sports/college/kentucky/2022/01/07/kentucky-football-mark-stoops-set-hire-mike-stoops-staff/9024953002/ |access-date=January 8, 2022 |website=The Courier-Journal |language=en-US}}</ref>

==Head coaching record==
{{CFB Yearly Record Start | type = coach | team = | conf = | bowl = | poll = no }}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead
 | name      = [[Arizona Wildcats football|Arizona Wildcats]]
 | conf      = [[Pac-12 Conference|Pac-10/Pac-12 Conference]]
 | startyear = 2004
 | endyear   = 2011
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | year         = [[2004 NCAA Division I-A football season|2004]]
 | name         = [[2004 Arizona Wildcats football team|Arizona]]
 | overall      = 3–8
 | conference   = 2–6
 | confstanding = T–8th
 | ranking      = no
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | year         = [[2005 NCAA Division I-A football season|2005]]
 | name         = [[2005 Arizona Wildcats football team|Arizona]]
 | overall      = 3–8
 | conference   = 2–6
 | confstanding = 8th
 | ranking      = no
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | year         = [[2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season|2006]]
 | name         = [[2006 Arizona Wildcats football team|Arizona]]
 | overall      = 6–6
 | conference   = 4–5
 | confstanding = T–5th
 | ranking      = no
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | year         = [[2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season|2007]]
 | name         = [[2007 Arizona Wildcats football team|Arizona]]
 | overall      = 5–7
 | conference   = 4–5
 | confstanding = 6th
 | ranking      = no
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | year         = [[2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season|2008]]
 | name         = [[2008 Arizona Wildcats football team|Arizona]]
 | overall      = 8–5
 | conference   = 5–4
 | confstanding = 5th
 | bowlname     = [[2008 Las Vegas Bowl|Las Vegas]]
 | bowloutcome  = W
 | ranking      = no
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | year         = [[2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season|2009]]
 | name         = [[2009 Arizona Wildcats football team|Arizona]]
 | overall      = 8–5
 | conference   = 6–3
 | confstanding = T–2nd
 | bowlname     = [[2009 Holiday Bowl|Holiday]]
 | bowloutcome  = L
 | ranking      = no
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | year         = [[2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season|2010]]
 | name         = [[2010 Arizona Wildcats football team|Arizona]]
 | overall      = 7–6
 | conference   = 4–5
 | confstanding = T–5th
 | bowlname     = [[Alamo Bowl|Alamo]]
 | bowloutcome  = L
 | ranking      = no
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | year         = [[2011 NCAA Division I FBS football season|2011]]
 | name         = [[2011 Arizona Wildcats football team|Arizona]]
 | overall      = 1–5
 | conference   = 0–4
 | confstanding =  {{Small|(South)}}
 | ranking      = no
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subtotal
 | name       = Arizona
 | overall    = 41–50
 | confrecord = 27–38
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record End
 | overall  = 41–50
 | bowls    = no
 | poll     = no
 | polltype =
 | legend   = no
}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://ukathletics.com/sports/football/roster/coach/mike-stoops/ Kentucky profile]
* {{Footballstats |nfl=mike-stoops |cfl= |afl= |espn= |cbs= |yahoo= |fox= |si= |pfr=S/StooMi20 |rotoworld= }}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Stoops, Mike}}
[[Category:1961 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:American football defensive backs]]
[[Category:Alabama Crimson Tide football coaches]]
[[Category:Arizona Wildcats football coaches]]
[[Category:Chicago Bears players]]
[[Category:Iowa Hawkeyes football coaches]]
[[Category:Iowa Hawkeyes football players]]
[[Category:Kansas State Wildcats football coaches]]
[[Category:Kentucky Wildcats football coaches]]
[[Category:NFL replacement players]]
[[Category:Oklahoma Sooners football coaches]]
[[Category:Pittsburgh Gladiators players]]
[[Category:Coaches of American football from Ohio]]
[[Category:Players of American football from Youngstown, Ohio]]