| Nationality |  United States |
|---|---|
| Past Teams | Munich Ravens, Rhein Fire |
| Age | 57 |
John Shoop is one of the most experienced American coaches currently operating in European American Football, bringing over two decades of high-level experience from the NFL and NCAA Division I college football. Known throughout his career as a “Quarterback Guru,” Shoop has worked with numerous professional signal-callers, including coaching Pro Bowler Kerry Collins early in his career and mentoring ELF MVP Jadrian Clark during Rhein Fire’s championship season. His resume includes stints as an Offensive Coordinator for the Chicago Bears (where he led the league’s third-highest scoring offense in 2001) and with major NCAA programs like North Carolina and Purdue. Appointed as the inaugural Head Coach of the Nordic Storm, he quickly molded the newly formed Danish-Swedish franchise into a competitive force, guiding them to the playoffs in their 2025 debut season. Shoop has committed to leading the Storm through their transition to the European Football Alliance (EFA) in 2026, where he will continue to shape the program’s foundation alongside star QB Clark, signaling a strong commitment to building a lasting European powerhouse.
Previous stations
- 1991: Dartmouth College (NCAA) – Quarterbacks Coach
- 1992–1994: Vanderbilt Commodores (NCAA) – Graduate Assistant
- 1995–1996: Carolina Panthers (NFL) – Offensive Quality Control
- 1997–1998: Carolina Panthers (NFL) – Quarterbacks Coach
- 1999–2000: Chicago Bears (NFL) – Quarterbacks Coach
- 2001–2003: Chicago Bears (NFL) – Offensive Coordinator
- 2004: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (NFL) – Quarterbacks Coach
- 2005: Oakland Raiders (NFL) – Quarterbacks Coach
- 2006: Oakland Raiders (NFL) – Offensive Coordinator & Tight Ends Coach
- 2007–2011: North Carolina Tar Heels (NCAA) – Offensive Coordinator & Quarterbacks Coach
- 2013–2015: Purdue Boilermakers (NCAA) – Offensive Coordinator & Quarterbacks Coach
- 2022: Hamburg Sea Devils (ELF) – Offensive Quality Control/Advisor
- 2023: Munich Ravens (ELF) – Head Coach
- 2024: Rhein Fire (ELF) – Senior Offensive Assistant / Quarterbacks Coach
- 2025–Present: Nordic Storm (ELF / EFA) – Head Coach (Extended through 2026)
Credits
- John Shoop – Wikipedia (English/German Composite)
- Shoop und Clark auch 2026 in Kopenhagen – Foot Bowl (Report on 2026 Extension to EFA)
- John Shoop named first Nordic Storm head coach – European League Football (Original Signing Announcement)
- ELF: Nordic Storm sign John Shoop as HC – American Football International
- John Shoop | Pro Football History.com (NFL Coaching Record)
- Rhein Fire sign former Ravens head coach John Shoop as quarterback coach (2024 Signing)
Achievements
Team Achievements
- 2024: ELF Champion (Rhein Fire) – *as Quarterbacks Coach*
- 2025: Qualified for the ELF Playoff Semi-Finals (Nordic Storm) – *as Head Coach*
- 2001: NFC Central Division Champions (Chicago Bears) – *as Offensive Coordinator*
- 1996: NFC West Division Champions (Carolina Panthers) – *as Offensive Quality Control Coach*
Personal Achievements
- Named Offensive Coordinator for the Chicago Bears at age 32.
- Coached QB Kerry Collins to his first NFL Pro Bowl appearance (1996 – *as assistant/quality control*).
- Credited as a **”Quarterback Guru”** throughout his career in both the NFL and NCAA.
- Advocated for College Athlete NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) rights.
Selected Statistics
- In 2001, his Chicago Bears offense finished the season with the third-highest scoring offense in the NFL.
- He coached QB Jadrian Clark to an ELF Championship Game MVP award during his tenure with Rhein Fire in 2024.
- He led the Nordic Storm to a playoff berth in the team’s inaugural 2025 season.
- His Nordic Storm team narrowly lost the 2025 ELF Semi-Final to the Vienna Vikings (28-20).
Other
- **Playing Career:** Shoop played quarterback in college at **Sewanee (University of the South)**, where he captained the team and led them to a Collegiate Athletic Conference title in 1990.
- **Education:** He holds a Master of Education degree from Vanderbilt University’s Peabody School of Education.
- **Activism:** His advocacy for college player rights (including NIL rights) reportedly played a role in his separation from the college football coaching ranks in the mid-2010s.
- **Nordic Storm Quote (2024):** “Nordic Storm is an ambitious team representing the Nordic countries… Now we will create a European powerhouse. There’s a lot of work ahead of us. We want to build something special here, something that players and fans across the Nordic countries can be proud of.”
- **Retained Duo:** Shoop’s extension through 2026 was announced simultaneously with the re-signing of star Quarterback Jadrian Clark, emphasizing the organization’s focus on continuity and an offense-driven foundation.
- **Brother:** His brother, Bob Shoop, is also a highly respected coach, having served as a Defensive Coordinator at several major NCAA programs.
- **Podcast:** He co-hosts a podcast with his wife, Marcia Mount Shoop (a theologian), titled **”Going Deep: Sports in the 21st Century,”** discussing sports and culture.
