Brent Venables reveals how Oklahoma built intimate, immediate team chemistry

It hasn’t taken long for Brent Venables to build an impressive culture at Oklahoma, with players who want nothing more than to play for the Sooners.

That’s not always the case with first year coaches. In fact, it’s usually far from it. Speaking with Joel Klatt on Breaking the Huddle, Venables revealed how he’s built an intimate and immediate team chemistry in Norman already.

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“I think being very intentional in developing relationships,” answered Venables. “Genuine relationships from the very start. Before we got to any kind of strategy, before we handed out any playbooks. We spent really our first few months trying to get to know them, their families, on an intimate level. They were receptive to that. So that’s the foundation of what you see from a cohesion and chemistry standpoint. Then I think that we have a staff that’s full of guys that are relationship driven coaches. So that’s a very naturally, organically and natural place for them to be, as well.

“Lastly, these guys have wanted these things that were asked them to give. They’ve really been receptive to the structure and the discipline and the accountability. That foundation, to me, you’ve got to have to have a long term, sustainable program.”

Evidently, it didn’t happen by accident for Brent Venables and Oklahoma — the long time Clemson coordinator came back to Norman with a plan, and immediately began enacting it. In doing so, it’s easy to see how the Sooners are confident in having immediate success under their coach’s guidance.

Brent Venables praises Dillon Gabriel for his leadership: ‘He’s an assassin’

Continuing, Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables had some big praise for his quarterback Dillon Gabriel following their 33-3 win over Kent State. 

“He’s an assassin, it’s not his first rodeo he’s been around the game lines and he’s just a ball junkie. He’s a great leader, the game comes easy to him in so many ways,” Venables said. 

The Sooners had a slow start in their last game, heading into halftime only up 7-3 to the Golden Flashes. But they picked things up in the second half, led by Gabriel’s 296 yards and three touchdown performance on the day. Venables talked about Gabriel’s mentality and leadership, which was on display this weekend as he brought the Sooner offense back to life after halftime. 

“But his best attribute is he never gets too high or too low, he’s the same guy,” Venables explained. “Every once in a while he’ll have a nice smile when he makes a big time play, but he’s the same guy every day like nonstop. That’s what we said, just be who you are, nothing more nothing less. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel, we gotta take what’s there and his leadership is a big part of that.”