Meet Mike Stoops, Florida Atlantic University’s Newest Football Defensive Coordinator
Mike Stoops has football running through his veins. Born and raised in Youngstown, Ohio, the college football coach’s family nurtured his passion for the sport from an early age. Mike’s father, Ron Stoops, created his legacy as the defensive coordinator at Cardinal Mooney High School, while two of his four brothers became football coaches too.
Named the Defensive Coordinator at Florida Atlantic University in January 2021 and boasting a career in the field for over three decades, Mike Stoops remains dedicated to the legacy and passion that he experienced growing up in a competitive sports environment during his childhood.
Stoops has served on the staff of college football teams that have achieved 298–107–2 and participated in 24 postseason games. He’s also won eight conference championships and two national titles. One of these championships came in 2000 when he was the assistant head coach and co-defensive coordinator under his brother Bob at Oklahoma. Mike Stoops once again saw victory when he worked as the defensive analyst at Alabama under Nick Saban.
For his part, Mike Stoops began his college football career playing strong safety at The University of Iowa for Hayden Fry, one of the first of three College Football Hall of Famers under whom he either played or worked. Stoops then joined the Pittsburgh Gladiators of the Arena League in 1987 and later as a replacement player for the Chicago Bears during the NFL strike.
During this time, Mike Stoops began his coaching career as a graduate under Fry. He resumed his coaching career in 1991 as a linebackers/defensive backs coach for the Hawkeyes. Next, he began a seven-year stint as an assistant coach at Kansas State University, where he worked under Bill Snyder, another prestigious Hall of Fame coach.
In his last three seasons, Mike Stoops’s title was the co-defensive coordinator on teams that went 31–6.
This success was followed by a five-year run at Oklahoma under his brother Bob — yet another College Football Hall of Fame recipient. A career highlight for Mike came in the 2000 run-up to the national championship when he oversaw the 13–0 Sooners complete their victory over №3 Florida State in the Orange Bowl.
Amongst his impressive portfolio, Mike Stoops also served as the head coach at the University of Arizona from 2004 to 2011, where he went 41–50 and coached future NFL professional players, including Rob Gronkowski and Nick Foles.
Mike Stoops also became Arizona’s head coach in November 2003 and served until the 2011 season. The following season he returned to Oklahoma and worked for five years under his brother Bob and two under Bob’s successor, Lincoln Riley.
In 2019, Mike Stoops was hired as a defensive analyst at Alabama and helped steer the team to success when the Crimson Tide went 13–0, claiming victory against Ohio State to win the national title.
Mike remains a dedicated family man to his wife Erin and their three children, Payton, Colton and Ozzy.
Check out more about Mike Stoops’ career and achievements at CoachMikeStoops.com.
