Bob Stoops discusses relationship with Brent Venables, continued partnership with Oklahoma

Brent Venables is one of the most respected defensive minds in college football, and while Bob Stoops will always remain close to the Oklahoma program, he fully intends on letting the new Sooners’ front man take full control of every aspect of the team.

When asked about his plan to be around the program and help Venables moving forward, Stoops gave a firm response.

“He doesn’t need help, but I’m going to be there,” Stoops said of Brent Venables.

“We’re close as everybody knows. Of course, not that he needs it at all, but you might as well bounce something off me if you’ve got an idea about something. He knows all I want for him to do better than I did by a long shot, so we’ll see.”

Brent Venables and Bob Stoops have long connection

Much like Lincoln Riley, Venables comes from the Stoops coaching tree.

While Riley served as Stoops’ offensive coordinator before his promotion to head coach, Venables served as Stoops’ defensive coordinator. Hired in 1999, the new Sooners’ front man was Oklahoma’s co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach, then he was promoted in 2004 to assistant head coach, too.

Brent Venables coached the defense under Stoops in 2000, when the Sooners were consensus national champions, and he was a Broyles Award finalist in 2006. That season, Venables led Oklahoma to an excellent performance in which the Sooners led the Big 12 in total defense and scoring defense.

“Brent was a major part of our 2000 national championship team here at OU, won two national titles at Clemson and, all told, has coached in eight national championship games,” Stoops said of Brent Venables in a press release. “He knows the formula to win national championships and has the toughness, the attitude and the fight that I think will elevate our program in a lot of positive ways. I’ve always loved his energy, excitement and passion for the game — it clearly spills over to his players. He has the absolute right experience to come in at this time and really boost our program.”

Venables has been at Clemson since 2012, serving six seasons as the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach, before his promotion in 2018. Ever since then, he’s served as Clemson’s assistant head coach, in addition to his duties as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach. Venables was a Broyles Award finalist with Oklahoma, but he later won the distinction in 2016, while coaching Clemson.

Clemson’s defense in 2021 ranked No. 9 in the country under Brent Venables, allowing just 308.4 total yards of offense per game.

On3’s Simon Gibbs contributed to this report