Mark Stoops Hired As Defensive Backs Coach
March 5, 2001
CORAL GABLES, Fla. (www.hurricanesports.com) – Former University of Houston co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach Mark Stoops has been named defensive backs coach at the University of Miami, Hurricanes head football coach Larry Coker announced today.
“I am very pleased to announce the addition of Mark Stoops to our staff,” said Coker. “Mark is one of the nation’s bright young coaching minds and will be a tremendous addition to our staff. His background as a defensive assistant plus his experience as a coordinator gives him an uncommon wealth of knowledge.”
The 33-year-old Stoops was co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach at the University of Houston last year after serving three seasons as Wyoming’s secondary coach. Stoops teamed with fellow assistant Dick Bumpas to lead the Cougars’ defense, specializing on pass defense and third down play calling. Houston ranked 54th nationally in total defense, allowing 340.5 yards per game.
Stoops came to Houston to renew a working relationship with Dimel that began at Wyoming in the 1990s. The highlight of Stoops’ tenure at Wyoming was the 1997 season, the best in school history for the Wyoming secondary. The Cowboy defense ranked number six in the nation in pass defense and intercepted a school-record 24 passes, breaking the previous record of 23 set in 1978 and 1959. Stoops coached 1997 consensus All-America free safety Brian Lee, who led the nation in interceptions and signed as a free agent with the New England Patriots. In 1998, Stoops’ secondary helped the Cowboy defense once again rank high nationally in scoring defense (28th).
Stoops joined the Wyoming staff after spending the 1996 season as the defensive secondary coach for the University of South Florida. Prior to coaching at South Florida, Stoops was the athletic director for the Nordonia Hills School District in Macedonia, Ohio, from 1992-96. While at Nordonia Hills, he also served as the defensive secondary coach at Nordonia High School.
A 1989 graduate of the University of Iowa, he was a three-year letterman for the Hawkeyes, and two-year starter at defensive back. He participated in the Rose Bowl following the 1985 season, the 1986 and 1987 Holiday Bowls and the 1988 Peach Bowl. Stoops was the Hawkeyes’ starting strong safety his junior year, before a knee injury ended his season. He returned for his senior year and played in all 11 games. He finished his career with almost 100 tackles with two interceptions.
Following his graduation from the University of Iowa in 1989, he served as a graduate assistant football coach at his alma mater. Stoops’s responsibilites centered on organizing scout team preparation and assisting with defensive backs on game days. The Hawkeyes made two more bowl appearances while he was a graduate assistant – the Rose Bowl following the 1990 season and the 1991 Holiday Bowl.
Stoops comes from an accomplished football family. His father, Ron, was the defensive coordinator at Cardinal Mooney High School in Youngstown, Ohio, for 28 years. His brother, Bob, is the head coach at the University of Oklahoma. Another brother, Mike, is the co-defensive coordinator for the Sooners and his third brother, Ron, is the defensive coordinator at Boardman High School in Boardman, Ohio. Stoops was born July 9, 1967.
