Brent Venables explains decision to name L'Damian Washington wide receivers coach

Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables shared his reasoning on Wednesday for naming L’Damian Washington as his replacement wide receivers coach. Following the shocking resignation of long-time Sooners coach Cale Gundy, Venables quickly named Washington as the new receivers coach to fill the gap in his coaching staff.

Brent Venables on L’Damian Washington

“Brent Venables says Matt Wells (former Texas Tech HC) and former Oklahoma wide receiver Nick Basquine among those who will be helping L’Damian Washington with the wide receiver duties,” detailed SoonerScoop‘s Bob Przybylo.

“Mentioned he didn’t know Washington, initially, but Jeff Lebby and Joe Jon Finley did. Took Brent Venables five mins to know Washington fit in with Sooners and the culture.”

Venables’ explanation for why he chose Washington shines a great light on how much trust he’s placed in the Oklahoma coaching staff around him. With a co-sign from two of the most important people on his offensive staff, Washington’s five-minute interview for the job was an easy one for the new Sooners head coach.

Additionally, it appears that Washington will have a support system around him of Wells and Basquine. The help around him and support of the Oklahoma staff will likely set him up for success early — especially as the team deals with the sudden absence of Gundy.

Cale Gundy resigns from OU

Gundy’s resignation came as a major surprise on Sunday night, having been a fixture in Norman for over 20 years. Gundy began with Oklahoma as a quarterback and spent the past two decades working as a coach for the Sooners.

In a statement announcing his resignation, Gundy explained that an incident occurred during a meeting between himself and a player where he said “one particular word” — something that “horrified” him afterward. While Gundy and Venables did not address what was specifically said, it was enough to prompt Gundy to resign.