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Longtime Oklahoma Strength Coach Moving Into a New Role, per Report

Following a multi-decade career as Oklahoma's strength and conditioning coach, Jerry Schmidt is moving into a new role.
Brady Trantham|
Oklahoma strength coach Jerry Schmidt
Oklahoma strength coach Jerry Schmidt | John E. Hoover / Sooners On SI

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Oklahoma Sooners

Following a 22-year tenure over two different stints, Jerry Schmidt is moving into a new role within the University of Oklahoma's football staff.

This was first reported by OUInsider's Parker Thune.

According to the report, Schmidt will replace Woody Glass as Brent Venables' chief of staff. Glass was involved in "administrative affairs and act as strategic advisor/liaison," and "facilitate communication with senior athletics leadership and senior campus administration, and provide support to head coach," among other duties according to SoonerSports.com.

Schmidt's assistant coach James Dobson — who has been with OU since Schmidt's return in 2022 — will now be the leader of Oklahoma's strength and conditioning program.

Dobson has served as the Associate Director of Sport Enhancement. Before Oklahoma, Dobson previously served as the strength and conditioning coach at Nebraska from 2008 to 2014 before a five-year stint at Vanderbilt from 2015 to 2020. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin in 1996 with a degree in kinesiology and exercise science before earning an MSA from Central Michigan University.

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Schmidt left the Sooner program following the end of former head coach Lincoln Riley's first year as head coach in 2018. Riley replaced Schmidt for Bennie Wylie, who would follow Riley to USC following the 2021 season.

Schmidt went to coach in the same capacity at Texas A&M. Once Venables was hired, one of his first acts as head coach was to convince his old strength and conditioning coach back to Norman in 2022.

In his 22 years as Oklahoma's strength coach, Schmidt has overseen the development of over numerous Heisman Trophy winners, dozens of All-Americans and NFL Draft picks. He helped earn the program its seventh national championship following an undefeated 2000 season as well as earning 11 Big 12 conference crowns.

Jerry Schmidt. Oklahoma Sooners
OU strength coach Jerry Schmidt works with players during the first practice of spring camp on March 22 in Norman. | CHRIS LANDSBERGER/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK

Schmidt initially came to Oklahoma in 1999 with Bob Stoops during his first season as head coach. Schmidt and Stoops had worked together at Florida during Stoops' tenure as defensive coordinator under Steve Spurrier. The trio helped bring a national championship to Gainesville in 1996 when the Gators defeated Florida State in the Sugar Bowl.

Schmidt also helped win a national championship when he was on the strength and conditioning staff with Notre Dame in 1988.

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Brady Trantham
BRADY TRANTHAM

Brady Trantham covered the Oklahoma City Thunder as the lead Thunder Insider from 2018 until 2021 for 107.7 The Franchise. During that time, Trantham also helped the station as a fill-in guest personality and co-hosted Oklahoma Sooner postgame shows. Trantham also covered the Thunder for the Norman Transcript and The Oklahoman on a freelance basis. He received his BA in history from the University of Oklahoma in 2014 and a BS in Sports Casting from Full Sail University in 2023. Trantham also founded and hosts the “Through the Keyhole” podcast, covering Oklahoma Sooners football. He was born in Oklahoma and raised as an Air Force brat all over the world before returning to Norman and setting down roots there.

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