One week after Lincoln Riley bolted for USC, it looks like Oklahoma has its new head coach: Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables.
Venables, who has been at Clemson since 2012, was one of the first names mentioned in conjunction with the OU opening. The connection is obvious; he was on the Sooners’ staff from 1999-2011 as a defensive coordinator/linebackers coach and later associate head coach.
The 50-year-old Venables has never been a head coach before, but he’s been a DC or co-DC for three national championship teams and won the Broyles Award in 2016 as college football’s top assistant coach.
The reaction from many around college football seems to be that Venables is a strong fit in Norman.
Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables sounds so good rolling off your lips.
— RJ Young (@RJ_Young) December 5, 2021
Brent Venables is the frontrunner at Oklahoma. May have competition for Jeff Lebby at OC. TBD.
— Dennis Dodd (@dennisdoddcbs) December 5, 2021
Really good chance Brent Venables (OU) and Tony Elliott (heating up at Virginia) have P5 jobs at the end of this cycle.
Will be the first real overhaul Dabo Swinney will have to deal with. Done right, it's a massive opportunity, especially on the offensive side of the ball. https://t.co/Z4P5XLJQyt
— Chris Hummer (@chris_hummer) December 5, 2021
It will be different without Brent Venables, but Clemson isn't going to collapse. Dabo Swinney will get that thing back to a championship level in no time.
— Barrett Sallee (@BarrettSallee) December 5, 2021
The last time Brent Venables faced off against Texas…
The Oklahoma defense outscored the entire Texas team 21-17 https://t.co/fSCEPjuwoX
— Boomer *Venerable Venables Simp* Beamer (@ImDerBatman) December 5, 2021
The Brent Venables hire doesn’t move the needle for me
— Ryan Roberts (@RiseNDraft) December 5, 2021
Brent Venables will be a great hire for Oklahoma’s fan base and defense leaps they have taken to remain in tact.
It feels like the program, who changed a lot under Riley, are trying to get back to their roots. Breath of fresh air.
Can OU pluck Graham Harrell from USC?
— Chisholm Holland (@ChisholmHolland) December 5, 2021
We’ll see if Venables is able to bring Ole Miss’ Jeff Lebby along as his offensive coordinator. Lebby began his coaching career as a student assistant at OU from 2002-06 and is well-regarded in the profession.
The way reports are trending, we’d expect the Venables deal to be finalized sometime today, with a possible official announcement from Oklahoma.
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