Benefit of the Doubt: Why Bob Stoops Won't Go To Notre Dame

Let's face it, college football coaches lie.

They lie to get recruits, they lie to the fans, they lie to the media and most of them lie to themselves, quite frankly.

Actually they lie so often, it should be a job interview question. "How comfortable are you lying?'" should be asked to every head coach before an offer is extended.

Some lie because it is the nature of the business; some lie to win; some lie because they hate the media's question and some are just plain liars and it serves them well in this business.

Stoops does his fair share of lying to the media. I do not know about recruits, but there is the perception that all coaches lie just like military recruiters.

He certainly lies to the fans through the media, like when he and Kevin Wilson told Sooner fans that the 2009 offensive line would be better than the 2008 one.

One place, however, that he has never lied to the fans though was his interest in another job.

During Stoops' first five years in Norman, well, third through fifth more specifically, he was considered for almost every big name job that came available both college and pro.

Then, Stoops always told us he wasn't interested and nothing ever came out in the papers about him even meeting with any of the teams.

The one exception was Florida, were he remained mum initially and then later confided in the public that he did consider taking the job before deciding to stay at Oklahoma.

So, If Stoops was truthful with the fans when the Cleveland Browns came calling, or Kansas City, Florida Gators, Washington Redskins and Notre Dame jobs opened the first time, we owe him the benefit of the doubt as those jobs open again.

Stoops has had plenty of opportunities to lie to the Sooner faithful about interest in other jobs and never has before as far as we know. In this world, we find out pretty much everything. Ask Tiger.

While I understand the knee-jerk reaction to consider everything that comes out of a college football coaches mouth because of the Nick Sabans and the Les Miles of the world, Stoops has earned the benefit of the doubt when it comes to what he says about interest in other jobs.

As long as Stoops says he is not interested Sooner fans, you should sleep well at night.

When he is quiet and says nothing, like he initially did with Florida, then it is time to worry.

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