TUCSON, Ariz. -- Mike Stoops, the younger brother of Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops, was introduced Saturday as the new head coach at Arizona and promised a return to the glory days of bowl games and all-out defense.
"We're going to be ready to play when we start in September," he said. "We're going to have a defense that attacks people from a bunch of different ways, and we're going to have an offense that's
going to spread people out and make them defend the whole field."
Stoops' five-year contract includes a base salary of $350,000 and a $300,000 TV/radio guarantee. It also includes a $50,000 buyout clause along with an array of potential bonuses:
$150,000 should Arizona get to the national championship game
$100,000 for any other BCS bowl game
$100,000 if Arizona wins the Pac-10
$70,000 for an 11-0 season or 11-1 season
$60,000 for a 10-1 or 10-2 season
$60,000 if average attendance is over 50,000
$50,000 if Arizona goes to a bowl
$45,000 if average attendance is over 48,000
$50,000 for a 9-2 or 9-3 season
$25,000 if team GPA is 3.4 or higher or if its graduation rate is 84 percent
The younger Stoops, the top-ranked Sooners' co-defensive coordinator, inherits a team that went 2-10 and finished last in the Pac-10 for the first time.
But Stoops, 41, believes good coaches can win anywhere, a view
reinforced by six years at Kansas State, a former have-not which
has become a perennial bowl team. He cited Washington State as an
example of what can be done in the intensely competitive Pac-10.
The secret is instilling a winning attitude in the players and
coaching preparation, said Stoops, who believes Arizona has the
facilities, attractiveness and athletes to reverse its string of
four losing seasons.
"Every team I've ever been associated with has been as
well-prepared as any team we played," he said.
Stoops is Arizona's 28th head coach, and the youngest since
Larry Smith, then 40, was hired in 1980.
"He's worked hard and deserves this," Bob Stoops said. "He's
more than prepared for it."
Mike Stoops will be bringing another brother along with him to
Arizona. Miami defensive backs coach Mark Stoops told his players
that he is leaving the Hurricanes to join the Wildcats. Mark Stoops
and Miami coach Larry Coker officially declined comment, but Coker
said the school would soon have a statement.
Given the upheaval in the program under former coach John
Mackovic and the contrast with the successful men's basketball
program, athletic director Jim Livengood wanted to make sure he
chose the right man.
He said Oklahoma basketball coach Kelvin Sampson, a friend from
their time together at Washington State, recommended Stoops two
years ago.
"He said, 'Jim, you need to keep your eye on this guy,' "
Livengood said. "'He's really something special. He can be just
like his brother -- he's out of the same mold.' "
Stoops will help coach Oklahoma in its Big 12 title game against
Kansas State on Saturday, but will return to Tucson after that and
not stay with the Sooners for their bowl game.
Southern California offensive coordinator Norm Chow, also
considered a front-runner, let it be known he wanted to stay with
the Trojans until their bowl game.
Others considered were: Cincinnati Bengals assistant Ricky
Hunley, New York Giants defensive coordinator Johnnie Lynn and Mike
Hankwitz, Mackovic's defensive coordinator, who took over after
Mackovic was fired on Sept. 28.
University president Peter Likins, who interviewed the
finalists, said Stoops was the first choice.
Likins had a visit last November from about 40 football players
who complained that Mackovic was insensitive and aloof. The former
NFL coach weathered the revolt, but was fired after this year's
team won its opener and then lost four straight.
The Wildcats finished their worst season in 46 years -- one that
included a school-record, eight-game losing streak -- with a 28-7
loss to Arizona State on Friday.
Livengood and Likins praised Hankwitz, who was 1-6 as a fill-in,
and Stoops said he planned to meet with Hankwitz soon about the
future.
Stoops acknowledged that his program will trail in recruiting
initially, but said some of the assistants he hopes to hire have
ties to California, Texas or Arizona, where he expects to
concentrate the recruiting effort.
Stoops has coached under his brother since 1999. He is the
associate head coach for the No. 1 Sooners and shares defensive
coordinator duties with Brent Venables, who left Kansas State the
same time as Mike Stoops to join Oklahoma's staff.
Stoops was a two-time all-Big Ten defensive back at Iowa in
1983-84. He played for the NFL's Chicago Bears and Pittsburgh
Gladiators of the Arena League before becoming a graduate assistant
coach at Iowa in 1986.
He was hired at Kansas State in 1992, rising to assistant head
coach and defensive coordinator before leaving for Oklahoma.
Stoops choked back tears when he talked about leaving players
and fans in Oklahoma, but said he was in a dream situation.
"This has always been a goal of mine," he said.
Information from ESPN.com sports business reporter Darren Rovell and The Associated Press was used in this report.