Dabo Swinney issues statement on Oklahoma hiring Brent Venables

Brent Venables spent 10 years at Clemson, helping delivering two national championships and reviving the Tigers brand. With his departure to Oklahoma, Venables leaves behind Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney.

The two became close friends over the last decade, as Venables built Clemson’s defense into one of the nation’s best. Swinney issued a statement Monday congratulating his former defensive coordinator on the new job.

“I’m so excited for this opportunity for him,” Swinney said. “He’s been very patient. He’s had many opportunities along the way. This was just the right fit for him and the right time with a lot of familiarity for him at Oklahoma. I know he is well-prepared. It’s been fun for me to watch him really grow since 2012, and I’m excited for Oklahoma because they’re not only getting a good coach, they’re also getting a great man who is going to do it the right way.

“His hiring is a great compliment to our program and to all the great players that we’ve had. I’m going to miss him, but at the same time, I’m also excited about moving forward here and the great opportunity ahead. Today is a great day for Brent and his family and a great day for Oklahoma, and the entire Clemson Family and I are proud of — and thankful for — his 10 years here and the lives he impacted in the process.”

Venables’ defenses were historically great. Employing a versatile, adaptable and aggressive scheme the Tigers placed outside of the top 25 in team defense just once in 10 years. Clemson also ranked No. 10 or better in team defense six times, finishing as the top-ranked unit twice. Across the past decade, the Tigers rank nationally in sacks (425) and third in scoring defense with just 17.8 points per game.

Brent Venables reveals his plan for building Oklahoma’s staff

The Oklahoma Sooners held a press conference and pep rally on Monday to officially introduce new head coach Brent Venables. During the press conference, Venables was asked about his plans for putting together his coaching staff at Oklahoma.

Venables plans to take care of that rather quickly, and he acknowledged that there are plenty of quality coaches already on Oklahoma’s staff.

“Obviously you prepare yourself for a long time. Every battle is won before it’s fought,” Venables said when asked about his plans on putting together his staff at Oklahoma. “That same kind of mindset when it comes to staffing. We’re working through that right now. The same with our current staff. There’s some terrific options right here at home and we’re looking at everything. But obviously we want to do it sooner rather than later. We’re looking aggressively on both fronts.”

Venables was later asked if he intends to hire a defensive coordinator, or if he would call defensive plays himself. 

“Yeah, my intention is to hire a defensive coordinator,” Venables said.