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Sports

Long before Cotton matchup, Texas A&M's Sumlin learned from 5 years with Stoops at Oklahoma

Associated Press
Published | Updated
  • Cotton Bowl Coaches Football
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    Texas A&M head coach Kevin Sumlin, left, and Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops pose for photographers pretending to pull at the Cotton Bowl trophy after a news conference leading up to the NCAA college football game Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2013, in Irving, Texas. Before Sumlin became a successful head coach, he was on Stoops' staff at Oklahoma. Before that, they were both assistant coaches recruiting the same area. Now Sumlin takes his Texas A&M team against Stoops' Sooners in a Jan. 4th Cotton Bowl matchup of former Big 12 rivals that are both 10-2. (AP Photo/LM Otero) (The Associated Press)

  • f062502a-Cotton Bowl Coaches Football
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    Texas A&M head coach Kevin Sumlin answers a question during a news conference leading up to the Cotton Bowl NCAA college football game Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2013, in Irving, Texas. Before Sumlin became a successful head coach, he was on Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops Stoops' staff. Before that, they were both assistant coaches recruiting the same area. Now Sumlin takes his Texas A&M team against Stoops' Sooners in a Jan. 4th Cotton Bowl matchup of former Big 12 rivals that are both 10-2 (AP Photo/LM Otero) (The Associated Press)

IRVING, Texas – Kevin Sumlin and Bob Stoops go way back.

Before Sumlin was a successful head coach at Houston and now Texas A&M, he learned plenty during five seasons under Stoops at Oklahoma — including two national championship game appearances. Even before that, they were assistant coaches recruiting in Florida in the 1990s. Stoops was trying to get players to Kansas State, and Sumlin worked for Minnesota and Purdue.

They will be on the opposite sidelines Friday night in the Cotton Bowl, a matchup of former Big 12 rivals that are both 10-2 with five-game winning streaks.

Stoops and the Sooners this season earned a share of their eighth Big 12 title. With Heisman Trophy-winning freshman quarterback Johnny Manziel, Sumlin and the Aggies won 10 games in their first SEC season.