Why Bob Stoops isn't talking ahead of OU football vs Tennessee game with Josh Heupel

NORMAN — When he was OU's coach, Bob Stoops famously took aim at the SEC .

Now, with the Sooners ' first SEC game coming up against Tennessee and former OU star and Stoops assistant Josh Heupel on Saturday (6:30 p.m., ABC), it's no surprise Stoops has received plenty of interview requests from various outlets.

Stoops posted a statement on X (formerly Twitter) saying he was turning down such requests, although he misspelled Heupel's last name.

"All attention needs to be on those two coaches and their programs," Stoops posted, referring to Heupel and Brent Venables. "I have great respect for both coaches. I'm grateful for their great work here at OU; Brent as a coach here for 13 years including our national championship in 2000. Josh as our 2000 national championship QB and coach for 10 years. I've often said he is the MVP of all my recruits because he was the catalyst that go(t) us started in '99."

Heupel played for the Sooners in 1999 and 2000, finishing second in Heisman Trophy voting in 2000 and leading OU to a national title.

He began his coaching career as a graduate assistant with the Sooners in 2004 before returning as quarterbacks coach in 2006. He remained on Stoops' staff through 2014, being elevated to co-offensive coordinator in 2011.

More: Who will be ESPN “College GameDay” guest picker for OU-Tennessee? Here's our best guess.

After the 2014 season, Heupel was fired, opening the door for Lincoln Riley to join Stoops' staff.

Heupel had stints as an assistant at Utah State and Missouri before being hired by UCF as head coach ahead of the 2018 season. He is in his fourth season as Tennessee's coach.

"It'll be unique for myself to be on the other side of the sideline," Heupel said at SEC Media Days in July. "Obviously there's been a lot of Saturdays where I was on the home sideline. But there are so many great teammates, friends that will be there. Got great respect for the university, the program. A lot of friends that are coaching on the opposing sideline that day, former teammates that will be coaching on that opposing sideline, too. So it'll be unique to be back there, but excited to be there."

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Why Bob Stoops isn't talking ahead of OU football vs Tennessee game with Josh Heupel