Former Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops back helping Sooners coach during COVID-19 pandemic

Former Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops was back on the practice field helping coach the Sooners this week ahead of their game against Baylor.

Oklahoma is still trying to get things back on track after having their game with West Virginia get postponed last week due to a COVID-19 outbreak among the players and coaching staff.

On his weekly Tuesday press conference, Lincoln Riley said that one part of their support staff was “completely wiped out” by positive tests so they had to enlist some outside help.

That outside help included none other than former Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops who came out of retirement, albeit in a small fashion, to help coach the team on Tuesday.

Coach Stoops retired in the summer prior to the 2017 season, but has remained intimately involved with the program ever since. He has been a frequent visitor of Sooner practices and has been in attendance at nearly every game home and away.

Riley said that he and Stoops talk very often, and that he is very lucky to have someone like him to turn to in a time like this.

Oklahoma is able to have Stoops in this role since he has stayed on at the university as an “institutional staff member” even after he retired as the head football coach. Theoretically, he could help coach a game if he was needed.

Riley did not indicate that was the plan at this time, but they would have to see how the week unfolded.

The Sooners will return to action to face Baylor on Saturday night in Norman at 7:00 p.m. CT.

[vertical-gallery id=20972]