NEW ORLEANS, LA - JANUARY 02: Oklahoma Sooners head coach Bob Stoops waves to the camera as team busses come in before the game between the Auburn Tigers and the Oklahoma Sooners on January 02, 2017 at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, LA. (Photo by Stephen Lew/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
FOX Sports Adds Legendary Coach Bob Stoops to BIG NOON KICKOFF Cast
National Champion and First-Ballot College Football Hall of Famer Joins Reggie Bush, Matt Leinart, Brady Quinn and Rob Stone This Fall
BIG NOON KICKOFF Hits the Road for Additional On-Site Pregame Shows in 2021
NEW YORK – FOX Sports has added another Hall of Famer to its impressive lineup of on-air broadcasters, welcoming former Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops to the BIG NOON KICKOFF college football pregame show beginning this fall. Stoops joins analysts Reggie Bush, Matt Leinart, Brady Quinn and host Rob Stone Saturdays at 10:00 AM ET heading into the network’s biggest matchup of the weekend, BIG NOON SATURDAY, at 12:00 PM ET on FOX.
“Coach Stoops’ Hall-of-Fame resume speaks for itself, and that success, along with his passion for college football, makes him the perfect fit for BIG NOON KICKOFF,” said Brad Zager, Executive Vice President, Head of Production & Operations, FOX Sports. “His impact on the sport is still felt in Oklahoma’s continued success and the multiple former assistants who are now head coaches all over the country. We are excited to add someone who mentored multiple top draft picks and Heisman winners, coached in multiple championship games and has gone head-to-head against some of today’s greatest active coaches.”
Stoops was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in January 2021, his first year eligible. Since he was named Oklahoma’s head coach in December 1998, he amassed a program-record 190 victories and school-record 18 consecutive bowl berths. He led the Sooners to the 2000 national championship and 10 Big 12 titles in his career, posting double-digit wins in 14 of his 18 seasons. Behind the six-time Big 12 Coach of the Year and two-time national coach of the year, Oklahoma racked up more victories than any other Power Five program from 1999-2016.
“I’m looking forward to joining such an incredibly talented team on FOX Sports’ BIG NOON KICKOFF,” Stoops said. “Over the past two seasons, FOX has assembled an insightful, engaging and entertaining pregame show that has become destination viewing for today’s college football fan, and I’m excited to be part of it beginning this fall.”
A native of Youngstown, Ohio, Stoops began his illustrious coaching career as an assistant under the legendary Hayden Fry at Iowa, where he was a four-year starter at safety and first-team All-Big Ten selection. He also worked as an assistant under Hall of Fame head coaches Bill Snyder at K-State and Steve Spurrier at Florida, serving as the defensive coordinator on the Gators’ 1996 national championship team. He coached 18 seasons at Oklahoma before announcing his retirement from the college ranks prior to the 2017 season.
FOX Sports also announces plans for additional BIG NOON KICKOFF road shows for the upcoming fall season, adhering to all safety protocols. Complete coverage details will be announced at a later date.
BIG NOON KICKOFF premiered during the 2019 college football season, offering analysis on the sport’s biggest stories from across the country. Following a successful debut season, the show expanded to two hours in 2020, showcasing even more of the insight and personality that made it an instant hit with fans. With plans to originate from the network’s Los Angeles studios and from the locations of some of the network’s biggest games, BIG NOON KICKOFF returns this fall Saturdays at 10:00 AM ET on FOX.
