Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
From the legendary Oklahoma coach, a deeply reflective and incredibly candid memoir that explores the overwhelming pressures and extraordinary joys of leading one of our most storied football institutions
As a son of a high school football coach in Youngstown, Ohio, Bob Stoops's life was shaped by the gridiron from day one. At home, his father, who literally gave his life to the sport after dying on the sidelines during a game, would shut off the kitchen lights and watch film projected on to the family's refrigerator over home-cooked meals. But despite the preparation, Stoops, an undersized and under-recruited player, didn't have much hope for football stardom. That all changed however after a lucky break and a lot of hard work. He fought his way on to the starting line up at the University of Iowa where he would go on to win a Rose Bowl as a ferocious defensive back.In Stoops's journey from player to struggling graduate assistant to legendary head coach, it becomes clear that his dedication to football is about far more than the sport itself. Big Game Bob, as he is known by adorning Sooners, made a name for himself not only by rebuilding the OU football program and leading the team to multiple conference championships but also by adhering to a strong set of principles at a time when corruption was rampant across the NCAA. From his first win as an assistant at Kansas State, breaking a thirty-one game losing streak, to standing with his players in protest of a racist incident on OU's campus, Stoops emerges as an upstanding, dedicated, and inspirational leader. His tireless though unsustainable work ethic-which was always clear to his players, colleagues, and family-became evident to the legion of Sooner fans when Stoops decided to step down as head coach, seemingly at his prime, in 2017 in order to leave the team in the best position for success. Now a household name in Big 12 country, Stoops's story promises to become one of the most engaging and eye-opening football memoirs to emerge in generations.
Synopsis
From the legendary Oklahoma coach, a candid and inspiring memoir.
When Bob Stoops took over as football coach in 1999, the Oklahoma Sooners were in disarray with back-to-back losing seasons. But in just two years' time, Stoops achieved the seemingly impossible: winning a national championship and returning the struggling Sooners to their powerhouse status, churning out NFL talent, Heisman Trophy winners and conference championships, bowl wins and national title runs on a regular basis.
During his 18 seasons at OU, his record was a remarkable 190-48. At only age 56, at the peak of his career, he stunned the college football world by walking away.
For the first time, Bob opens up about his career alongside the evolution of the game itself. From his unlikely emergence as a star player at the University of Iowa, to his coaching apprenticeships under giants like Hayden Fry, Bill Snyder, and Steve Spurrier, Stoops recounts how the game he fell in love with as a boy has evolved into a billion-dollar business often compromised by recruiting wars, aggressive agents, overzealous boosters and alumni, and the emergence of the CEO head coach rather than mentor and teacher. Bob holds nothing back while explaining why it was time to step away from the game--and players--he still loves.
Told with a rare combination of sincerity, vulnerability, and pure heart, No Excuses is both an engaging and eye-opening football memoir and an unprecedented portrait of a coach of one of the greatest legacy programs in the history of the college game.