Report: Oklahoma hires Brett Venables to succeed Lincoln Riley as head coach

Oklahoma has its next football coach: Brent Venables, who most recently served as Clemson’s defensive coordinator, will return to Norman and serve as the Sooners’ head coach.

Venables emerged as a top target for the Oklahoma job on Sunday morning, according to a report. Shortly thereafter, the university finalized the hiring.

“Update: This is a go, per source… Clemson DC Brent Venables IS the new head coach at Oklahoma,” reported FOX Sports’ Bruce Feldman

The news came shortly after Lincoln Riley accepted the head coaching job at USC on Sunday night. Riley first took over for legendary Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops in June 2017, and in five years coaching the Sooners, he amassed a 55-10 overall record. Riley made the College Football Playoff three times but never made a national title game appearance.

Much like Riley, Venables comes from the Stoops coaching tree. While Riley previously served as Stoops’ offensive coordinator, Venables served as a defensive coordinator. Hired in 1999, Venables was Oklahoma’s co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach, then he was promoted in 2004 to assistant head coach, too. 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.

Venables comes from Clemson to Oklahoma

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 made Venables the highest-paid assistant coach in college football in July of 2021, as the board of trustees approved an extension through 2026 that paid him $2.5 million per year.

“Oklahoma is one of the premier football programs and jobs in the country,” Oklahoma athletic director Joe Castiglione said in a press release after Riley’s departure. “Our storied history, annual pursuit of conference and national championships, tremendous fan support. beautiful facilities and quality of life combine to make this an incredible place to recruit to and coach.”

Clemson’s defense in 2021 currently ranks No. 9 in the country under Venables’ tutelage, allowing just 308.4 total yards of offense per game. Though Clemson has had a disappointing season, its defense has done a solid job picking up the slack for a subpar offense.

Venables will technically take over for Stoops, who came out of retirement, took over for Riley and was named Oklahoma’s interim head coach for the Sooners’ bowl game.

“This place in a hell of a lot better shape than it was in December 1998,” Stoops said of the state of OU football during his re-introductory press conference. “To all the fans, players and parents, give it time. This (Riley’s departure) is a little bump in the road.”