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Notes: Stoops' wife has national title of her own
By Luke Brietzke, USA TODAY

Carol Stoops was working at home recently when one of her three children, Drake, started wandering too close to her office. Drake's twin brother, Isaac, told Drake he should stop because "Mommy is working to bring home a national championship."


Carol Stoops, left, with husband Bob is one of fewer than 400 people worldwide to earn the title of independent national director of Mary Kay Inc.


That wasn't quite the case, but Carol was working toward a national honor. Thursday in Dallas, she was named an independent national director of Mary Kay Inc., a cosmetics company.

But when your father is Bob Stoops, head coach of the Oklahoma football program, and you've heard national championship talk in three of the last five years, the child's mistake is understandable.

"It means a lot," says Carol Stoops, one of fewer than 400 women worldwide to earn that title. "But it's more the journey getting here. It's not just the moment."

Her journey began as a math teacher, but she started doing sales for Mary Kay in 1991. At first it was part time, and she was talked into it by a friend. Two years later, she was an independent sales director.

Even more important, she can work from home and take care of their three kids — the oldest, daughter Mackie, is 9 and the twins are 6 — all while raking in $1.1 million in sales. Her travel will be minimal, which is a plus because she can be flexible to travel with her husband for games and bowls.

Now she has her own team of 22 sales directors and 1,100 beauty consultants. The Stoopses see similarities in their jobs.

"It's a leadership position, and I don't care what team you're leading," she says. "You watch people develop as (Bob) does with his players. Many things (we do in our jobs) we can relate to."

Until Thursday, big moments in Dallas for the Stoopses have come in early October. But this was not the day of the Texas-Oklahoma game, played annually in Dallas and recently dominated by Bob's team. Instead it was Carol's day.

As for the pink Cadillac that goes to successful Mary Kay reps, Bob doesn't seem to mind the clash it creates with Sooners red.

"She hasn't let me ride it very often," he says. "The players love seeing me pull up in it, and I love driving it when I do get the opportunity."