Riley Names Ruffin McNeill Defensive Coordinator For Rest Of Season

OU Football Head Coach Lincoln Riley has named an interim defensive coordinator after Mike Stoops was fired. 

Assistant head coach and defensive tackles coach Ruffin McNeill will replace Stoops as the interim defensive coordinator for the rest of the season, Riley announced Monday. 

"Ruffin has an impressive résumé," Riley said. "That's why I wanted him on our staff in the first place... I have confidence in his knowledge and leadership."

McNeill was defensive coordinator at UNLV from 1997 to 1998, and Fresno State in 1999. He later served in that same role with Texas Tech from 2008 to 2009 before taking over as head coach at East Carolina from 2010 to 2015.  

Defensive analyst Bob Diaco also moves into a new role as coach of the outside linebackers. Diaco served as defensive coordinator at Cincinnati, Notre Dame and Nebraska. He was the head coach at Connecticut from 2014 to 2016.

Former defensive coordinator Mike Stoops issued a statement Monday thanking his players, colleagues and the school.