BOCA RATON, Fla. — Mike Stoops is joining Willie Taggart at Florida Atlantic.
FAU announced Thursday that Stoops will join Taggart's staff as defensive coordinator.
Stoops replaces Jim Leavitt, who left to take the same position under Sonny Dykes at Southern Methodist.
"Mike brings tremendous experience to the defensive side of the ball," Taggart said in a statement. "His pedigree, two national championships, countless players to the NFL and his wealth of knowledge speaks for itself. This is a home run for us."
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Stoops was defensive coordinator at Oklahoma from 1999-2003 and again from 2012-18, sandwiched around his job as head coach at Arizona from 2004-11.
He is the younger brother of former Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops and older brother of Mark Stoops, who is currently head coach at Kentucky.
"As a former head coach and defensive coordinator at Power 5 programs, he knows the importance of building a defensive staff that can teach and adjust," Taggart said. "The strength of our defense is their on-field communication and the band of brother culture."
Stoops spent last season as a defensive analyst for Nick Saban at Alabama. The Crimson Tide won the national championship earlier this month in South Florida.
