Brent Venables Officially Unveiled as Oklahoma Coach on Monday Morning
NORMAN — A week ago, it seemed as if a dark cloud had shrouded Oklahoma’s campus in Norman.
Inside OU’s Everest Training Center on Monday, nobody would have ever known, as thousands of Sooner fans gathered to welcome the program’s 23rd head coach, Brent Venables.
Oklahoma president Joseph Harroz, athletic director Joe Castiglione and linebacker Caleb Kelly all spoke ahead of Venables, delivering the same message: OU is not reeling, but stronger than ever.
Lincoln Riley’s departure may have felt like a referendum on the Oklahoma program, but Harroz insisted the Sooners were ready to answer the call.
“When we went out to look for a coach, we had two criteria,” Harroz said. “The first criteria was, do they have coaching excellence?”
And running down Venables’ track record as a defensive coordinator at both Oklahoma and Clemson, Harroz said Venables’ resume is “second to none.”
The second criteria, Harroz said, was “will you live and believe” the ideals of developing not just the player, but the every aspect of the student athlete beyond college football.
“This is a place where we keep our commitments and where we are family,” Harroz said. “And I could not be more proud to have (Venables) as our head coach.
When Venables took his turn at the podium, he echoed Harroz’s energy.
“I’m not sure the last time I felt so fulfilled and excited,” Venables said.
The new head coach spent a large portion of his speech addressing the players who were in attendance right in front of him, ensuring they knew the entire program was going to be centered around them.
Venables laid out a program that only makes decisions with the best interests of the players in mind, ensuring that the coaches surrounding them are working every day to help them grow as people both on and off the field. The ultimate goal is to win a championship, Venables said, but to get there the coaching staff must invest in the players every day to prepare them for life after football.
He also laid out the plans to “employ an exciting, fast, explosive and diverse offense combined with a physical, punishing, relentless, suffocating defense,” which drew a roar from the fans in attendance.
Grateful for the opportunity to follow his dream, Venables said he’s ready to get to work at the helm of the Sooner program.
“Make no mistake about it. Oklahoma has been, and always will be, the measuring stick in college football,” Venables said.”
“... Taking Oklahoma from the Big 12 to the SEC, you’ve got your guy to take you on this journey.”
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