Mike Stoops introduced as next Arizona head coach

Mike Stoops, the younger brother of Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops, was introduced as the new head coach at Arizona on Saturday afternoon.

"I'm obviously very excited about the opportunity to become a head coach," Stoops said in a statement released before a news conference to announce his hiring.

The younger Stoops, the top-ranked Sooners' co-defensive coordinator, inherits a problem-plagued football team that went 2-10 and finished last in the Pac-10 for the first time.

Arizona AD Jim Livengood fulfills his desire to have a replacement for John Mackovic by Monday. Stoops emerged as the leading candidate after Mackovic was fired Sept. 28 and is considered one of the top defensive minds in the country.

Brother Mark Stoops, the defensive backs coach at Miami, could follow Mike to become the Wildcats' defensive coordinator. Mike currently handles the No. 1 Sooners defense along with Brent Venables.

Mike is expected to coach in the Big 12 championship game against Kansas State, and then turn his attention to Arizona. Bob said previously Mike could help Oklahoma prepare for its bowl game.

Mike Stoops will likely begin running the Arizona program after the Big 12 title game.(Getty Images)

Mike was a two-time All-Big Ten defensive back, playing professionally for the Chicago Bears and Pittsburgh Gladiators of the Arena Football League.

His coaching career started in 1986 as a grad assistant at Iowa. He moved to Kansas State in 1992, beginning a stellar coaching career on the defensive side of the ball. He left K-State in 1999 to join Bob and has been part of a national championship and two Big 12 titles in his five years there.

"He's been a part of the rebuilding at Iowa and Kansas State," Bob said earlier this month. "When he left, they had the No. 1 defense in the nation. I look at it -- again I say this in a humble way -- I seem to be fairly popular to want to hire. There's nobody more like me than him."

Arizona also interviewed Southern California offensive coordinator Norm Chow, Cincinnati Bengals assistant Ricky Hunley and New York Giants defensive coordinator Johnnie Lynn.

Arizona finished 2-10 this season, 1-7 under interim coach Mike Hankwitz. The Wildcats are the only Pac-10 team to never have gone to the Rose Bowl.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.