Family Values

“My door is open. 24-7,” says the University of Arizona’s new 42-year old football coach Mike Stoops. It’s the first policy Stoops instituted when he became the 28th coach in the 104 year history of football on the Tucson campus last November 29th. Stoops’ declaration signaled the start of give-and-take between players and coaches, a family-like feeling at a place crying for it. It’s a rare concept in the big business-like atmosphere that is intercollegiate athletics. At Arizona, it signaled a sea of change from Stoops’ predecessor, John Mackovic. Stoops adheres to principles he learned as a child in Youngstown, Ohio where he grew up in a football family with future coaching brothers Ron Jr., Bob, and Mark under the watchful eyes of their coaching father Ron Stoops Sr. The senior Stoops put together legendary attacking defenses over a 28-year career at Cardinal Mooney High