First published 2019
Bob Stoops opens up about his stunning decision to leave Oklahoma football at the height of his success. In 1999, he inherited a program coming off consecutive losing seasons. Within two years, he delivered a national championship and restored the Sooners to elite status. Over 18 seasons, his teams compiled a 190-48 record, produced Heisman winners and NFL stars, and competed regularly for national titles. Then, at age 56 and at his career peak, he shocked college football by stepping down. Stoops traces his journey from unlikely star player at Iowa through apprenticeships under coaching legends like Hayden Fry and Steve Spurrier. He reveals how the sport transformed from the game he loved as a boy into a billion-dollar enterprise dominated by recruiting battles, aggressive agents, and demanding boosters. The book examines how head coaches evolved from teachers into CEOs. Stoops candidly explains his reasons for leaving the program and players he still cares about deeply.
Genres: business, sports, biography-memoir, football
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: coming-of-age, inspirational
Setting: Iowa, Oklahoma
Period: 1999, 2017
320 pages · Hardcover · Little, Brown and Company