Danny Stutsman sends message to Oklahoma fans doubting Brent Venables

Sitting 1-5 in conference play through mid-November, Oklahoma‘s first season in the SEC has not gone to plan.

A bowl opportunity is still on the table for the Sooners, leading to some questioning about what should be done with the team’s leadership moving forward. Danny Stutsman, who was already on campus before Brent Venables arrived in 2022, believes in his head coach’s abilities to lead Oklahoma into the future.

“I have no doubt,” Stutsman told reporters after practice on Wednesday. “The people here, the staff has no doubt. You guys talk to the President, there’s no doubt. There’s something right that Coach Venables does where everyone who’s close to him and sees him every day, has unwavering faith in Coach Venables.”

That doesn’t stop the players on OU’s roster from seeing the negativity that can surround social media at times. Stutsman has developed a veteran’s approach to dealing with haters on social media.

“I can dig in the trash and not get dirty,” Stutsman continued. “I heard coach [Venables] say that the other day, so I like that. It doesn’t really affect me because I’ve done this for a while. At the end of the day, it’s just words. I think it kind of motivates me if anything.”

The first step in silencing the doubters would be for the Sooners to qualify for a bowl game. At 5-5, that’s easier said than done. Oklahoma is on its bye in Week 12 and when they return to action, they’ll round the regular season out at home against No. 10 Alabama before finishing off its first SEC slate on the road at LSU.

While the Sooners will ultimately fall short of the 10-win finish they enjoyed in 2023, Oklahoma’s first season in the SEC could be looked at as a wake-up call for Venables and company.

OU finished 6-7 during his first season as head coach and managed to bounce back the next season. Who’s to say they can’t do the same in 2025?