Editing Bob Stoops (section)

===Assistant coach===
After graduating with a marketing degree in 1983, Stoops began his coaching career as a volunteer coach and graduate assistant in the [[Iowa Hawkeyes]] program under [[Hayden Fry]]. He next was an assistant at [[Kent State University]] under [[Dick Crum (American football)|Dick Crum]] in 1988, and then joined the coaching staff at [[Kansas State University]] the following year. Stoops was named co-[[defensive coordinator]] at Kansas State under [[Bill Snyder]] in 1991 and assistant head coach and co-defensive coordinator in 1995. During his tenure on the Wildcats staff, Stoops played a key role in their impressive turnaround, helping take what many considered to be the worst program in Division I-A to national contention. During his final four seasons there, Kansas State was 35–12 with three bowl appearances.

Stoops then left for the [[University of Florida]], serving three years as [[Steve Spurrier]]'s defensive coordinator. Hired after Florida allowed 62 points to Nebraska in the [[1996 Fiesta Bowl]],<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.gatorzone.com/insidefootball/?sub=legacy&page=bowl | title=Gatorzone.com – Florida Gators Bowl Record | access-date=September 29, 2007 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070808135303/http://gatorzone.com/insidefootball/?sub=legacy&page=bowl | archive-date=August 8, 2007 | url-status=dead }}</ref> he was granted authority over the Gators defense; the team responded by winning the national championship over Florida State in the 1997 Sugar Bowl.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.gatorzone.com/insidefootball/?sub=legacy&page=sec_96 | title=Gatorzone.com – Florida Gators 1996 Season | access-date=September 29, 2007 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071016221200/http://gatorzone.com/insidefootball/?sub=legacy&page=sec_96 | archive-date=October 16, 2007 | url-status=dead }}</ref>

Due to his success leading defenses at Kansas State and Florida, Stoops was mentioned as a future head coach.