After two seasons at Oklahoma, Brent Venables will be staying in Norman for the remainder of the decade.
Per Pete Thamel at ESPN, Venables and the Sooners have agreed on a new contract for the next six years. With that deal also comes a major raise that represents a dedication to him and to the program as they head into their new conference this fall.
“Sources: Oklahoma has agreed to a new six-year contract for coach Brent Venables,” Thamel shared on Twitter. “The new six-year deal includes a significant raise for Venables, and there’s been an uptick in overall program commitment as OU heads to the SEC.”
However, this contract isn’t official just yet according to Thamel. As he added in a reply to his original tweet, Venables’ contract “still requires board approval”.
Venables has a highly successful resumé through his career as a coach, specifically at his last two stops. After starting at Kansas State, he has spent the past quarter century at both Oklahoma and Clemson.
Through a pair of seasons back at OU as head coach, Venables has posted a record of 16-10 overall. The improvement from year one to year two, though, was clear as the Sooners went from 6-7 in his debut season to 10-3. Development on both sides of the ball were obvious for Oklahoma in 2023. They went from 32.8 ppg. (33rd) to 41.7 ppg. (4th) on offense while also going from allowing 30 ppg. (90th) to 23.5 (49th) on defense.
After starting at 3-0 in 2022, Oklahoma finished 3-7 in the Big 12 and in the Cheez-It Bowl. Although they lost their final four by just three points apiece, they also suffered a 31-point loss to TCU and a 49-0 blowout and shutout to Texas in the Red River Rivalry.
Again, though, 2023 was much better under Venables. The Sooners started at 7-0, including a win over the Longhorns this time around. That allowed them to reach as high as sixth in the nation in the AP Poll. A pair of losses afterward took them out of the national race from there but they still finished the regular season at 10-2 before a season-ending defeat to Arizona in the Alamo Bowl.
Venables has also been recruiting at a national level for the program. All three of his classes that he is credited with so far have been in the Top-10 of On3’s Football Team Recruiting Rankings, including at as high as No. 6 in 2023. 2025 is on pace to do the same as it currently sits at No. 10.
The question now is how Venables helps Oklahoma to adjust to the Southeastern Conference. They had long dominated in different variations of the Big 12 throughout recent history. Any slip of that standard, regardless of the step up in competition following their realignment, for a team that has won double-digit games more often than not, especially as of late, will be seen as reason to concern in Norman.
Still, this contract exemplifies a commitment to what Venables can continue to do in this next era of Oklahoma Football. It’s now, pending board approval, about him making good on that throughout the rest of the 2020s.
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