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5 college football programs Bob Stoops could come back to coach

By Zach Bigalke

Sep 17, 2016; Norman, OK, USA; Florida Gators former head coach Steve Spurrier (right) speaks with Oklahoma Sooners head coach Bob Stoops before the game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 17, 2016; Norman, OK, USA; Florida Gators former head coach Steve Spurrier (right) speaks with Oklahoma Sooners head coach Bob Stoops before the game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports /
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Apr 22, 2017; Notre Dame, IN, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Brian Kelly talks to his players during warmups before the Blue-Gold Game at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 22, 2017; Notre Dame, IN, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Brian Kelly talks to his players during warmups before the Blue-Gold Game at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports /

2. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (Possible start: 2021)

This is perhaps the most far-fetched of the scenarios on the list, but it isn’t entirely crazy. Stoops went to Cardinal Mooney High School in Youngstown, Ohio, where his dad was the defensive coordinator. He is not unfamiliar with the ways of Catholic school systems. Notre Dame certainly fits the bill of a blueblood program much like Oklahoma, and if the door opens in the next few years it will be because the school has fallen on even harder times.

Brian Kelly has certainly done some good work in South Bend since arriving from Cincinnati. He took the Fighting Irish to the BCS national championship game. But he was also at the helm during several scandals that resulted in deaths. The Notre Dame fan base has a certain expectation of sustained excellence, and is willing to hang on only so long if a coach does not return them to the Promised Land of national contention.

Kelly has plenty of wiggle room left on his contract at the moment. But as the years winnow down the buyout could become tempting for a school with deep pockets. If Stoops is still available at that point, he could be open to a return to coaching if it were at a school with as big a brand as Notre Dame.

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