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Before long, we're going to hear about the Cleveland Browns linked to all of the big-name coaching candidates, only for a dark horse to get the job out of no where, right? That's how it worked last year with Rob Chudzinski.
The latest "big name" to join the rumored coaching candidates for the Browns' vacant head coaching position is Bob Stoops, head coach of Oklahoma, a team that just pulled off an upset win over Nick Saban's Alabama team last night. The rumor was initiated by Tony Softli, who is a former NFL personnel executive:
OU Head Coach and Ohio native Bob Stoops may have the inside track on the Cleveland Browns opening.
— Tony Softli (@SoftliSTL) January 3, 2014
How Softli of all people would stumble upon this rumor is beyond me, so take it with a grain of salt. Teams have been attempting to lure Stoops away from Oklahoma for years, too, so it's hard to believe the Browns' vacancy would be very interesting to him. Stoops was also asked about the interest on Colin Cowherd and The Dan Patrick Show, to which he said the following:
Hear Bob Stoops #intheHERD on Browns' rumors: I havent heard that. But in the end, I would never acknowledge or deny one way or the other.
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) January 3, 2014
Bob Stoops to @dpshow re: #Browns "I never acknowledge or deny whether anyone's contacted me or not; this isn't something publicly I do..
— Daryl Ruiter (@RuiterWrongFAN) January 3, 2014
..one way or the other; that's something that's always personal and no one ever knows." - Stoops on @dpshow re: #Browns rumors
— Daryl Ruiter (@RuiterWrongFAN) January 3, 2014
It is moderately interesting that Stoops didn't shoot down the possibility, even though the first tweet is a bit conflicting in what he said. Until the Browns name their head coach, I suppose we can at least add Stoops to the list of candidates out there.