Report: Texas will hire former Oklahoma coach Mike Stoops

Lincoln Riley fired Mike Stoops from Oklahoma after the Texas game in 2018.

Now Riley may be coaching against Stoops the next time the Sooners take on the Longhorns.

According to a report in al.com, new Texas coach Steve Sarkisian is set to hire Stoops off Nick Saban’s Alabama staff. The story was first reported by al.com's Matt Zenitz.

Stoops, 59, has been a Crimson Tide defensive analyst for the last two seasons.

The report, citing unnamed sources, says Stoops will coach Texas linebackers.

Stoops was fired after a 48-45 loss to the Longhorns in 2018. Texas gained 501 total yards, 324 yards rushing and 27 first downs. Kyler Murray led the Sooners back from a 45-24 fourth-quarter deficit, but the Longhorns marched for an easy field goal to win it at the end.

Stoops coordinated both some of the best and the worst defenses in school history after his brother Bob Stoops hired him in 1999 and again in 2012.

The Sooners had one of college football’s most fearsome defenses from 2000-2003 — before he was hired as head coach at Arizona. When Arizona fired Stoops midway through the 2011 season after posting a 41-50 record, his brother brought him back to Norman.

From 2012-2018, Stoops’ defense shattered the school record for total yards allowed three times: 398.3 yards per game in 2012, 432.0 yards per game in 2016, and 453.8 yards per game in 2018 (the Sooner defense was coordinated by Riley assistant Ruffin McNeill after Stoops was fired).

Sarkisian has reportedly already hired several other Saban aides, including recruiting aces Jeff Banks and Kyle Flood. Flood was Saban’s offensive line coach and will be Sarkisian’s offensive coordinator. Banks reportedly will coach Texas special teams at $1 million a year. Sarkisian also has reportedly hired Washington assistant Pete Kwiatkowski as his defensive coordinator.

As an analyst on 'Bama's staff this past season, Stoops enjoyed his first national championship since OU's undefeated title run in 2000.