Report: Alabama analyst staying with UA after Steve Sarkisian pulls Texas offer
By SDS Staff
Published:
Mike Stoops won’t be heading to Austin after all.
Steve Sarkisian pulled Stoops’ offer to join the Texas staff after the Alabama analyst had already said his goodbyes in Tuscaloosa, according to a new report from AL.com’s Matt Zenitz.
According to the report, Sarkisian faced backlash over the Stoops’ family history with Texas rival Oklahoma. Mike Stoops worked as Oklahoma’s defensive coordinator from 1999-2003 and 2012-18. Mike’s brother Bob Stoops was the Oklahoma head coach from 1999 to 2016.
Sarkisian had offered Mike Stoops the linebackers coach position on the staff. Zenitz’s report details that Stoops had informed Nick Saban of his decision Thursday and was preparing to fly to Texas on Friday to begin the process of looking for a new place to live with his wife.
Zenitz writes that Stoops is now expected to remain in Tuscaloosa as an analyst on Saban’s staff. The report notes that Stoops “turned down multiple FBS defensive coordinator opportunities this offseason.”
Sarkisian, meanwhile, will be looking elsewhere to find his Longhorns linebackers coach. The Sarkisian Texas staff has a noted Alabama flavor, but his Crimson Tide options for the linebackers spot may be limited with another analyst from the 2020 UA staff, Charlie Strong, reportedly joining Urban Meyer’s Jacksonville Jaguars staff.
Saturday Down South reports and comments on the news around the Southeastern Conference as well as larger college football topics.
