Report: Brent Venables emerges as 'top target' for Oklahoma head coach

For the second time in as many hiring cycles, the University of Oklahoma appears in position to hire a Bob Stoops disciple as the Sooners’ head coach: Brent Venables.

Venables emerged as a top target for the Oklahoma job on Sunday morning according to a report from ESPN’s Chris Low. Low said that the two sides could finalize a deal as early as today.

The news comes shortly after Lincoln Riley accepted the head coaching job at USC on Sunday night. Riley took over for Stoops in June 2017. In five years as Oklahoma’s head coach, he amassed a 55-10 overall record and 37-7 mark in conference play. Riley has made the College Football Playoff three times but never made a national title game appearance.

Venables, the current Clemson defensive coordinator, was first reported as a name to watch in the search early Monday morning. 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. Before his arrival in South Carolina, he coached at Oklahoma for 13 seasons. Hired in 1999, Venables was Oklahoma’s co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach, then he was promoted in 2004 to assistant head coach, too.

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.”

Prior to his arrival at Clemson, Venables served as the defensive coordinator at Oklahoma from 1999 until 2011. He was the co-defensive coordinator for his first four seasons, before later stepping into his role as the sole coordinator. 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.

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.”