Brent Venables reacts to Oklahoma contract extension, support from administration

The Oklahoma Sooners decided to give head football coach Brent Venables a contract extension as the school prepared to move its athletics into the SEC.

Now, with the school officially in the SEC, Venables appeared on the Paul Finebaum Show. There, he shared his reaction to getting the contract extension and the type of confidence this support from the administration gives him.

“The relationship with President [Joseph] Harroz and Joe Castiglione, two of the best leaders in all of college athletics,” Brent Venables said. “Their belief in not only myself but our coaches and what we’ve been able to do in two short years is everything. It’s going to take everybody and to have their endorsement at this time going into the SEC means a lot to all of us.”

This contract extension is for six years and will keep him at Oklahoma through the 2029 season. It’s a move that should provide stability for Oklahoma as the program enters the SEC.

A key aspect of the extension is that it wasn’t just for Brent Venables. It was an extension that saw the assistants at Oklahoma also get new deals. It was a decision that, as Castiglione would explain, came down to the school always trying to be “proactive” in its approach.

Brent Venables came to Oklahoma in 2022 after years where he was the defensive coordinator for the Clemson Tigers. Since getting to Norman, he has a record of 16-10 and 10-8 in the Big 12. That includes a 10-win season with a Top 15 finish in 2023.

Joe Castiglione credits Brent Venables’ aggressiveness as a factor in his extension

One of the major factors that athletic director Joe Castiglione says led to the contract extension for Brent Venables is his aggressiveness.

“It’s a big part of the extension. He is all about the importance of identifying the players that we need to be successful in the world in which we’re competing. The culture that they’re coming to, the relationships that are built. Having strong leaders that not only can help the team overall, but in the locker room. Most importantly in his world is setting them up for future success in the world going forward whether football might be involved in it beyond their college eligibility or they’re headed into their livelihood,” Venables said.

“So for us, we talk about all the different aspects of recruiting. Yes, the NIL support. But just the support of what this whole mission and the purpose and values that are provided — and the experiences that we create for the players to develop. He really believes in that.”