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TUCSON, Ariz. - Mike Stoops, younger brother of Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops, was introduced Saturday as coach at Arizona and promised a return to the glory days of bowl games and all-out defense.
"We're going to be ready to play when we start in September," the 41-year-old said. "We're going to have a defense that attacks people from a bunch of different ways, and we're going to have an offense that's going to spread people out and make them defend the whole field."
The younger Stoops, the top-ranked Sooners' co-defensive coordinator, inherits a team that went 2-10 and finished last in the Pac-10 for the first time.
Stoops is Arizona's 28th coach, and youngest since Larry Smith, then 40, was hired in 1980.Stoops, whose contract has not been finalized, will help coach Oklahoma in its Big 12 title game on Saturday, then return to Tucson. He will not stay with the Sooners for their bowl game.
Also, Miami radio station WQAM reported Hurricanes defensive backs coach Mark Stoops will join his brother at Arizona.
Miss. State courts CroomMississippi State offered its coaching position to Green Bay Packers assistant Sylvester Croom on Friday and Croom promised a decision early this week, ESPN.com reported.
If the 49-year-old former All-America center at Alabama accepts, he will be the first black head football coach in the SEC. Croom has long been considered a front-runner to replace Jackie Sherrill, who retired after the Bulldogs' 31-0 loss to rival Ole Miss on Thursday night.
Croom earned one national championship ring as a player (1973) and two as an assistant (1978-79) at Alabama. When replacing Mike Price in May, the Crimson Tide was criticized by some for picking Mike Shula, who is white, over Croom, who is older and has more experience.
SOLICH FIRED: Nebraska coach Frank Solich was fired after winning more than 75 percent of his games over six seasons but failing to keep the Cornhuskers as the national powerhouse they were under Tom Osborne. The Omaha World-Herald and Lincoln Journal Star reported on their Web sites athletic director Steve Pederson decided to fire Solich, who went 9-3 this season. Solich's daughter, Cindy Dalton, confirmed the firing to KMTV in Omaha.
Pinnacle Sports Network, the rights holder for Nebraska radio broadcasts, reported that first-year defensive coordinator Bo Pelini would be interim coach.
The 'Huskers won at least a share of the national title in three of Osborne's final four seasons. Solich was 42-9 in his first four seasons, and his team played for the national title after the '01 season. The Cornhuskers went 7-7 in 2002, their worst season since 1961.
BOWLS: Kansas accepted a bid to the Tangerine Bowl, its first postseason appearance in eight years. The Jayhawks, who finished the regular season 6-6, meet N.C. State (7-5) on Dec.22 at the Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium in Orlando. ... TCU was invited to the GMAC in Mobile, Ala., despite indicating its preference to go to a different game that doesn't conflict with exams. TCU athletic director Eric Hyman said C-USA athletic directors and the conference commissioner will discuss the situation and he hopes to have a resolution in a few days. ... Pittsburgh accepted a bid to the Continental Tire Bowl on Dec.27 in Charlotte, N.C.
DELAWARE: Quarterback Andy Hall set a record for the I-AA school with 205 completions this season, topping the 1986 mark of 201 by Rich Gannon.
GEORGIA TECH: Quarterback Reggie Ball sustained a possible concussion against Georgia and was replaced by A.J. Suggs. Coach Chan Gailey said he didn't think the injury was serious. Ball's father confirmed his son had a concussion.
MONTANA: Chris Snyder made four field goals and set a I-AA career scoring record in a loss to Western Illinois. Snyder also had four extra points and finished his career with 394, topping the mark of 385 by Marty Zendejas, who played for Nevada from 1984-87.