Brent Venables explains importance of having Cale Gundy on Oklahoma staff

It’s difficult — if not impossible — to imagine Oklahoma football without Cale Gundy. A quarterback for the Sooners from 1990-93, Gundy later joined the staff in Norman as an assistant during Bob Stoops’ first season as head coach in 1999.

Gundy grew used to stability in that time, working under Stoops for the next 17 seasons before Lincoln Riley took the reigns in 2017. But this past offseason, Riley bolted for USC, putting Gundy’s job status with OU in jeopardy for the first time in more than 20 years. He even called his brother, Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy, to tell him to keep him in mind for any openings on the Cowboys’ staff.

But Cale Gundy’s worries were quickly put to rest as Oklahoma announced it would hire Brent Venables as Riley’s replacement. A member of the Sooners staff from 1999-2011, Venables already had a great working relationship with Gundy. So when the decision came on whether to retain the coach heading into 2022, it was a no-brainer.

“He’s always been a great connector of people, procedures and connection to the history and tradition of the program,” Venables said in a recent press conference after spring practice. “He’s embedded. He’s like the very fiber itself. He loves this place and is incredibly loyal, but he knows so many people. He’s got a great memory, so he’s able to pull from all the past experiences both good and bad. But he loves this place. He loves his players and has got a great knowledge of Football 101. Whether it’s recruiting this state or the state of Texas, football Xs and Os, or again, being able to connect people and get things done efficiently, he’s the guy.”

Gundy has held a variety of positions throughout his time with the Sooners ranging from running backs and receivers coach to co-offensive coordinator. He has coached talented players such as Adrian Peterson, DeMarco Murray, Joe Mixon, Sterling Shepard and Mark Andrews, all of whom went on to multi-year NFL careers. He has also seen a national championship victory in 2000 and multiple Big 12 titles along the way.

What stands out just as much as his experience is his roots in Oklahoma. Growing up in Midwest City, Gundy has a deep appreciation and understanding of the OU program that few others possess. Ultimately, that helps him stand out among the crowd of potential Sooners assistants.

“There’s nobody that’s more qualified to do it,” Venables said. “He’s just a rock of stability and consistency. Incredible loyalty. You can coach him harder than anybody in the program. He’s got thick skin. His dad, Ray, raised him the right way. Ultra, ultra competitive. He’s going to show up early and stay late every day, so he’s really what you want from anybody associated with the program.”

In addition to Cale Gundy, Venables retained longtime Oklahoma assistants Bill Bendenbaugh, DeMarco Murray and Joe Jon Finley. Because consistency has been a staple of the coaching staff over the past two decades, he wanted to ensure that carried over into his tenure. Now that the right staff is in place, he’s ready to go to work.

The Sooners are set to host their annual spring game on April 23 in Norman. After that, their next opportunity to take the field won’t come until the season opener against UTEP on Sept. 3.