Brent Venables updates progression of Oklahoma's defensive installation

Oklahoma Sooners‘ new head coach Brent Venables has his hands full installing a new offense and defense for the team. And on Wednesday, after the Sooners’ spring practice, Venables provided an update on his progression of installing the defense.

“Yeah, as far as the installation, in typical fashion, you lay it out there and you have a pretty aggressive installation pattern on paper. And then you start working, and practicing, and you slow down a little bit. So for all the reasons you can go down, like whether you’re somewhere and you’re returning and you have a foundation set and you have a culture and you have a lot of experience coming back that’s how it always is. Or the flipside is when we’re trying to learn,” said Venables.

That is where Venables and Oklahoma are right now after he took over the program back in December. This season he will attempt to give Oklahoma back a defensive identity as they did in the 2000s. Last season the Sooners had out six games in which they gave up 30 points. One of those games was the season opener and home opener against a Tulane team that finished their season with a 2-10 record.

“We’ve been watching these guys with out of their helmets, you know, in T shirts and shorts for eight weeks and now, you get who’s in what jersey number. I’m calling them by their Jersey (number), 26, 29, 1, 77, who are these guys. And so not as fast as you want it to be, installation wise. But we had an aggressive game plan and they’re just making adjustments as we go in typical fashion. “

Venables still has time to get the defense up to speed before the season opener. Oklahoma will kick off their 2022 season at home against the UTEP Miners on September 3rd. The game’s start time has yet to be announced.

Venables reveals how he operates during practice

With only 15 practices to use in the spring, every minute on the field is crucial and the new head coach is trying to set his standards early. However, as a former defensive assistant, he’s gravitated towards the defense on the field this spring.

Venables explained his approach to balancing his managerial-type duties and his coaching input this spring and for the 2022 regular season.

“Obviously, I’ve got great experience over there and foundationally, trying to set some standards, be an extra set of eyes and ears, blocking dummy, I’ll do whatever,” Venables said. “That’s my expectation and everybody’s the same way to make things easier and more efficient. Everybody’s got 20 hours a week right now, and we’ve got to make the most use of those 20 hours. That’s really what my involvement reasoning is, because I know what extra hats can do, extra bodies, extra voices. I love to do that. I love getting dirt under my fingernails, it’s a good thing.