Stoops Getting Angry at ND Reports
But he still hasn’t given a definitive “NO”.
He will release a statement through Oklahoma later today.
In San Diego on Tuesday morning for a recruiting visit, Bob Stoops turned on the television in his hotel room and listened to an ESPN broadcaster continue to talk about the Oklahoma coach’s connection with the Notre Dame job.
Stoops was dumbfounded when he listened to Adam Schefter, ESPN’s NFL writer, report that the OU coach wasn’t taking the Notre Dame job because negotiations broke down between Irish officials and Stoops’ representatives.
“I don’t know where (Schefter) is getting his information, but it’s wrong,” Stoops said in a telephone interview. “It’s all been wrong.”
Schefter reported on ESPN’s Monday Night Countdown that word around the NFL was that “Bob Stoops will wind up coaching Notre Dame, and he’s the leader in the clubhouse if they can get the details ironed out.”
Schefter made the claim even though Stoops had said earlier in the day that he would be coaching at OU next season. When he watched and listened to Schefter’s report Tuesday, Stoops had enough.
“He’s trying to cover his (Monday night) mistake,” Stoops said. “There were never any talks that broke down, because there were never ever any negotiations or details or plans for a meeting.”
Stoops said he doesn’t know who Schefter’s sources are, but he’s certain one of them is not his agent, Neil Cornrich, as some have claimed.
“Neil never says anything without first talking to me,” Stoops said. “And we have never talked about any meetings with anybody.”
Stoops is frustrated and concerned that ESPN’s continued reporting of unfounded rumors about his interest in Notre Dame will hinder his recruiting efforts. He planned to release a statement through OU sports information director Kenny Mossman later Tuesday morning to once again shoot down the latest ESPN story.
We now await Stoops’ press release. We are looking for more definitive language. If it ain’t in there, then he only has himself to blame for the ongoing speculation.