Oklahoma hired Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables as its head coach to replace Lincoln Riley on Sunday night time, bringing again a worn Sooners assistant with a prolonged note file of success.
Venables will doubtless be introduced Monday morning on the campus in Norman, the college stated.
The 50-Twelve months-outdated Venables changed into once on Oklahoma’s workers under Bob Stoops as co-defensive coordinator from 1999 to 2003 and defensive coordinator from 2004 to 2011. He changed into once co-defensive coordinator when the Sooners obtained the 2000 national title. He left Oklahoma for Clemson in 2012 and obtained the Broyles Award in 2016 because the nation’s high assistant. He’s been on the workers of teams which have obtained three national titles and looked in eight national championship games.
“He is conscious of the formulation to desire national championships and has the toughness, the standpoint and the fight that I judge will elevate our program in quite diverse particular ways,” stated Stoops, who has been serving as intervening time coach since Riley’s gruesome departure closing week for Southern California. “I’ve consistently beloved his vitality, pleasure and fervour for the sport — it clearly spills over to his players.”
Venables, who will doubtless be a head coach for the first time, stated in an announcement he’s angry to add to the historical previous of a program that’s obtained seven national titles and had seven Heisman Trophy winners. He additionally stated he’s embracing the Sooners’ eventual transfer to the Southeastern Convention, which is determined for 2025.
“There’s no ask we are geared as a lot as compete on the very perfect diploma and appeal to the excellent players from throughout the country,” he stated. “The OU logo has never been stronger.”
Below Venables, Clemson led the nation in scoring defense in 2018, and his 2020 unit tied for the lead in sacks. This season, Clemson ranks second nationally in scoring defense, ninth in complete defense, eighth in speeding defense and sixth in plug efficiency defense.
Oklahoma changed into once caught off guard when Riley took the job at USC. Stoops took over on an intervening time foundation to unruffled issues down for the length of recruiting.
Venables like a flash emerged as a fan well-liked for the job. Many had hoped the Sooners may maybe well trap him again from Clemson as defensive coordinator after the Sooners fired coordinator Mike Stoops in 2018. The Sooners selected Alex Grinch, who left to affix Riley at USC.
Venables’ first concerns will doubtless be to cease players from transferring and salvage as great of the recruiting class as that it is doubtless you’ll well maybe judge. A variety of players introduced their intentions to enter the transfer portal after Riley’s resolution, at the side of quarterback Spencer Rattler. A mammoth quantity of recruits decommitted, at the side of Malachi Nelson — a five-extensive title quarterback who now says he’s heading to USC.
Riley snarl the bar excessive. He went 55-10 in five seasons with the Sooners and led them to about a College Football Playoff appearances. Quarterbacks Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray both obtained Heisman trophies and were No. 1 total picks within the NFL draft.
The Sooners went 10-2 this season and fell staunch trying competing for what would had been a seventh consecutive Gigantic 12 title. They misplaced their frequent-season finale 37-33 to Oklahoma Converse.
Oklahoma athletic director Joe Castiglione believes the Sooners are primed to quit extra under Venables.
“There’s dinky doubt in my thoughts he’s the factual man to lead OU football into its next mountainous era,” Castiglione stated in an announcement. “We couldn’t be extra angry for Brent to attain again to OU as our head coach.”