Stoops-Notre Dame?

Monday, December 3rd 2001, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops said Monday he has not been contacted about the head coaching vacancy at Notre Dame but stopped short of saying he would not consider it.

``When you answer you're phone, somebody's always on the other line,'' Stoops said Monday in the weekly Big 12 coaches' conference call with the media. ``It's hard not to talk to them.''

But Stoops also said he already has the best coaching job in the country. The No. 11 Sooners (10-2) won the national championship last season.

``I've got a great administration backing us up, so I believe Oklahoma is one of the best places in America to coach or play college football, and I feel fortunate that I have the job I have,'' he said.

Bob Davie was fired at Notre Dame on Sunday, a day after the second losing season in three years.

Stoops' name surfaced immediately as a candidate, along with Oregon's Mike Belotti and three NFL coaches _ Oakland's Jon Gruden, San Francisco's Steve Mariucci and Jacksonville's Tom Coughlin.