John Blake, former Sooners coach and player, dies at age 59; Stitt's chief of staff announces resignation; and more

AFTERNOON UPDATE [The Oklahoman]( 23 Jul, 2020 [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [SUBSCRIBE FOR ALL ACCESS]( Stay connected and stay informed. [Subscribe to The Oklahoman today for only $39 for a year](. This special introductory offer for new subscribers ends 7/23. What stories do you wish The Oklahoman were chasing? What do you wish we knew? [Tell us!]( Contact information is optional. Are you a subscriber? View the [print replica]( of today's newspaper for more stories! [Sign up here]( to get daily coronavirus updates in your email. [OU football: John Blake, former Sooners coach and player, dies at age 59]( John Blake, the former OU nose guard who later served as head football coach from 1996-98, died Thursday at age 61, former coach Barry Switzer confirmed to The Oklahoman. Latest News/Sports [Stitt's chief of staff announces resignation]( Gov. Kevin Stitt's chief of staff announced Thursday he is stepping down from his role, effective July 31. [Coronavirus in Oklahoma update: OSDH reports 737 new cases, 3 new deaths]( The Oklahoma State Department of Health announced Thursday there have been 28,802 total coronavirus cases in Oklahoma. [OSSAA executive director David Jackson discusses plans for Oklahoma high school sports]( Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association executive director David Jackson spoke to reporters in a Zoom meeting Thursday morning, answering questions about the state of Oklahoma high school sports. [OU football: For third consecutive week, Sooners report no active COVID-19 cases]( For the third consecutive week, OU football's COVID-19 test results came back entirely negative. [Subscribe to The Oklahoman]( [NFL teams to see fruits of virtual offseason as camps begin]( Players are reconvening for a training camp unlike any other, and the ramifications of their remote offseason will soon become apparent. Business [US long-term mortgage rates rise; 30-year at 3.01%]( Average rates on long-term mortgages rose this week for the first time since June 25, after weeks of marking new record lows. And finally ... [Buying a home? Here's what to expect at the closing]( Closing on a house marks the beginning of a new chapter, but the final step before becoming a homeowner includes lots of documents, signatures and fees. You are receiving this communication as a member of the The Oklahoman. The Oklahoman values your online privacy. For more information, view our [privacy policy]( now. Please do not reply to this message. [Manage Preferences Or Unsubscribe]( The Oklahoman 100 West Main Street, Suite 100 Oklahoma City, OK 73102 © 2020 The Oklahoman. All rights reserved.