Bob Stoops on his connections to Nick Saban, Bill Belichick and Pete Carroll

Conversations with Coach: The Stoops family goes way back with Saban, one of three legendary coaches who ended championship tenures this week.

By Berry Tramel

| Jan 13, 2024, 12:00pm CST

By Berry Tramel

Jan 13, 2024, 12:00pm CST

Nick Saban and the Stoops family go back a long way, from Saban recruiting Mark Stoops to hitting Youngstown’s high schools in search of players and often having lunch with Bob Stoops’ uncle, also named Bob Stoops, including a memorable day at Talk of the Town, when the football talk was so riveting, they didn’t notice the joint was being robbed. Bob Stoops and Berry Tramel talk about Saban, Bill Belichick and Pete Carroll on the latest episode of Conversations With Coach.

Among the topics:

2:52 Stoops on the demands of modern coaches

5:08: The relationship between Nick Saban and the Stoops family

10:02 What made Nick Saban great

13:07 Stoops on Bill Belichcick

18:43 Replacing legends

21:26: Stoops on Pete Carroll

23:14: Carroll saluting the Stoops Sooners

Producers: Jacquelyn Musgrove and Michael Martin

Creative Director: Michael Lane

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Berry Tramel is a 45-year veteran of Oklahoma journalism, having spent 13 years at the Norman Transcript and 32 years at The Oklahoman. He has been named Oklahoma Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sports Media Association. Born and raised in Norman, Tramel grew up reading four newspapers a day and began his career at age 17. His first assignment was the Lexington-Elmore City high school football game, and he’s enjoyed the journey ever since, having covered NBA Finals and Rose Bowls and everything in between. Tramel and his wife, Tricia, were married in 1980 and live in Norman near their daughter, son-in-law and three granddaughters. Tramel can be reached at 405-760-8080 or at [email protected].