• Stoops brings in Northwestern’s Patton to coach the line

By John Shinn

Transcript Sports Writer

Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops could have gone in a number of directions to fill his coaching staff. He could have filled the vacancy created by former receivers coach Darrell Wyatt leaving for the NFL by just hiring another receivers coach.

Instead, he shuffled his own offensive staff and plucked James Patton away from Northwestern to become the Sooners’ offensive line coach.

“I’ve known James a little, but more than that I kept noticing and you watch how successful Northwestern has done offensively,” Stoops said. “You see how well they move the ball and the great job they’ve done again this year moving the ball.

“James does a great job getting after those guys in the offensive line. The way they’ve played fits us. He already has worked for Kevin Wilson so that will be an easy fit.”

Patton, 34, replaced Wilson as Northwestern’s offensive line coach at the end of the 2001 season and also played under Wilson when Wilson was an assistant at Miami of Ohio.

“I had a chance to be a graduate assistant coach with him and he’s kind of mentioned me as I’ve come along here in the coaching ranks,” Patton said of his relationship with Wilson. “We’ll work real close together here and I’m excited about the opportunity.”

Stoops also announced the juggling of coaching responsibilities within his staff. Wilson, the offensive line coach the past four seasons, will now coach tight ends and fullbacks. Kevin Sumlin, who’s coached tight ends for three seasons, now will coach receivers and add the titles of co-offensive coordinator and passing game coordinator.

Stoops said he decided after the Holiday Bowl that being offensive coordinator and offensive line coach was too much responsibility for one coach. He felt it was important to give Wilson a better opportunity to work with the entire offense.

Coaching fullbacks and tight ends gives him a better chance to do that.

“Putting him at tight end and fullback really gives him the opportunity to be in the middle of everything,” Stoops said. “The tight ends and the fullbacks are involved in pass protection, they’re involved in the pass routes themselves and they’re involved in run game as well,” Stoops said. “He will be able to see everything and see what he likes and doesn’t like.”

Sumlin previously coached the fullbacks and tight ends along with his duties as special teams coordinator. Stoops said he will either delegate certain special teams responsibilities to each member of the staff or handle it himself.

Patton spent the past seven seasons at Northwestern, five of those as the Wildcats’ offensive line coach.