Brent Venables announces his wife, Julie, has breast cancer: 'She's tough'
Oklahoma coach Brent Venables announced Tuesday that his wife, Julie, is battling breast cancer.
“We got a diagnosis on June 16th that knocks you off your feet. It takes me to talking to my mother in January 2005, having a stage four conversation. There’s no blueprint on how you handle it,” Venables said. “Our sanctuary and our true shelters of faith, the power of prayer – so much support. We appreciate everyone here who has reached out. It’s been nothing short of amazing. The group of people who have helped, the doctors, the administration, our staff, our players, our players’ parents, and certainly Sooner Nation. That’s been great.”
This news comes after it announced Julie had cancer at both the 212 event and the coaches’ luncheon a week ago. Venables provided an official update Tuesday, saying Julie had surgery on Friday, July 28, in New Orleans and the belief is everything has gone well. He has been traveling back and forth from Norman and New Orleans to be with Julie during the procedure.
“We’re hopeful that we got everything and we can maybe avoid further treatments such as radiation and chemotherapy. We’ll find that out in the next couple days,” Venables said. “We think it’s not in her lymph nodes so that’s a good thing in the cancer world. So now it’s about what’s contained. So now we’re trying to strengthen her and get her back.”
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Venables met Julie during their time at Kansas State in the 1990s and started dating in college. They got married in 1997 and have four children.
“She’s tough. As I said, she’s a honey badger,” Venables said. “She’s got a medical background. A former nurse. She already knows the answer to the question, so you better get it right, doc. She’s amazing.”
Venables is entering his second season as Oklahoma’s head coach, after being hired following the 2021 season. The former Clemson and Oklahoma defensive coordinator is looking to turn things around in his second season, after a disappointing 6-7 first year. With a move to the SEC in 2024 on the horizon, the pressure is on for Venables in Year 2. But Venables is confident he can right the ship.
And he’s taking Julie’s diagnosis in stride, he said, taking each day at a time in what is sure to be a difficult year for him and his family.
