Earlier this week, Mike Stoops was fired as defensive coordinator of the Oklahoma Sooners football program. Stoops joined Oklahoma City’s WWLS The Sports Animal twice on Wednesday to address his dismissal and rumors alleged by afternoon host Jim Traber.
Stoops first appearance on WWLS was cordial, telling former Sooner and current radio host Dusty Dvoracek, “I have so much respect for this program, all the players that have played in it, for Lincoln, the administration and just didn’t get it done.”
“That hurt greatly,” Stoops continued referring to the team’s defensive struggles. “And I think it just came to a head Saturday in a lot of different ways for a lot of different reasons, Dusty.”
Following Stoops’ firing, afternoon host Jim Traber reported an altercation between the former defensive coordinator and OU linebacker Curtis Bolton on Saturday and during last season’s Cotton Bowl. The younger brother of former longtime OU head coach Bob Stoops placed a call to Traber in the afternoon which was not as friendly as his earlier interview with Dvoracek.
“You’re attacking my character, Jim,” Stoops said. “That’s not how you do things, you know that.
“I’m not going to argue with you, Mike,” said Traber. “You have what you believe happened. I’ve said what I thought. People are going to believe you. Whatever.”
Traber continued to say he didn’t want to fight on-air.
“I’m friends with everybody on this station,” Stoops added. “But when there’s something falsely said about me, that hurts, Jim. And that hurts me personally.”
Both Traber and Stoops did end the conversation by wishing each other well. The full interview from WWLS The Sports Animal can be heard here.
Brandon Contes is a freelance writer for BSM. He can be found on Twitter @BrandonContes. To reach him by email click here.
