WFMJ.com News weather sports for Youngstown-Warren OhioVeteran high school Coach Ron Stoops Jr., joins Youngstown State staff

Veteran high school Coach Ron Stoops Jr., joins Youngstown State staff

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio -  Youngstown State Head Football Coach Eric Wolford announced the hiring of Cardinal Mooney High School defensive coordinator Ron Stoops Jr., on Sunday afternoon. Stoops has more than 30 years of coaching experience on the high school level, including the last nine at Cardinal Mooney. For the Penguins, Stoops will coach the secondary and serve as the program's newly-created Director of High School Relations.

"We're extremely excited about the opportunity to have Ron Stoops be part of our coaching staff," Wolford said. "Not only is he a great football coach, but he is a great person and family man. He obviously has a strong background in football and he's a proven winner. There is no doubt that he's a big part of Youngstown's impressive High School football heritage. He'll be a big part of us building quality relationships with area coaches."

Stoops spent the past nine years as the defensive coordinator and running backs coach for Cardinal Mooney High School for P.J. Fecko. The Cardinals amassed an impressive 90-26 record during his tenure winning the Division III State Championship in 2009 and Division IV state crowns in 2004 and 2006 while advancing to the title games in 2005 and 2007. Most recently in 2009, the Cardinals were 15-0 and defeated Columbus St. Francis DeSales 35-7 in the title game. In his final four years with the program, Mooney lost just four games.

While at Mooney, Stoops coached numerous players who have gone on to earn Division I football scholarships.

Stoops said the timing if perfect for him to join the Youngstown State football family.

"It's a unique opportunity at a very unique time," Stoops said. "I always saw myself as a high school coach and have done so for 30 years. Even though a lot of people have asked, the last few years in particular about going on to coach at the collegiate level, I didn't give it much thought. Here is a chance to keep my roots in Youngstown and do something that I love. With our kids being out of high school, the opportunity was too good not to take. I'm excited about it. It's a new challenge and I'm looking forward to it."

Prior to joining the Mooney staff, he spent 13 seasons (1987-99) as an assistant at Boardman High School. During his first season Boardman advanced to the Division I State Championship Game while in 1995, the Spartans reached the state semifinals.

He coached for six years at Canton Central Catholic (1981-86) and spent his first year at Ursuline (1980) upon his graduation from YSU.

While an undergraduate at Youngstown State, he coached for his uncle, Bob, at Youngstown South High School as an assistant in 1978 and 1979.

Stoops graduated from YSU in 1980 bachelor's degree in education and earned his master's degree from Dayton. He taught Social Studies at Boardman while coaching at Mooney.

"Coach Wolford is a great guy with a lot of energy and I'm very anxious to work with him," Stoops said. "This is a chance for me to contribute to a larger community. I've been very involved in Boardman and at Mooney, but to do it at the college level, and especially at YSU, is really exciting and I'm looking forward to it."