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Oklahoma Board of Regents OKs Contracts for New Football Coaches, Extensions

The Sooners' new defensive coordinator Zac Alley and new special teams analyst Doug Deakin had their contracts approved by the OU Board of Regents on Tuesday.

John E. Hoover

Oklahoma Board of Regents OKs Contracts for New Football Coaches, Extensions
Oklahoma Board of Regents OKs Contracts for New Football Coaches, Extensions /
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Brent Venables' new assistants have new contracts. And two of his veteran staffers have new extensions.

The Oklahoma Board of Regents on Tuesday approved several contracts for Brent Venables' staff heading into the 2024 spring.

New defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Zac Alley got a three-year contract averaging $900,000 a year. Alley will receive $850,000 this year and has a $50,000 annual increase built in. Former defensive coordinator Ted Roof in 2022 received a three-year deal worth $3.45 million, including $1.1 million in 2022, $1.15 million in 2023 and $1.2 million in 2024. Roof's contract was not renewed for the 2024 season.

New special teams analyst Doug Deakin got a one-year contract for $180,000. Former special teams analyst Jay Nunez was hired in 2022 at $110,000 a year, and in 2023 got a raise to $250,000. Nunez took the special teams coordinator job at Alabama this offseason. 

Extensions were also approved for offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh and defensive line coach Todd Bates. 

Bedenbaugh got a $180,000 raise to $1.05 million a year and a one-year extension on a contract that now runs through January 2027, and he'll get raises in 2025 to $1.2 million and 2026 to $1.25 million. He's the program's first non-coordinator or head coach to make more than $1 million.

Bates got a $100,000 raise to $800,000 a year on a contract that runs through January 2027. Bates also gets $50,000 stay bonuses on Feb. 1, 2025 and Feb. 1, 2026.

The Sooners' total salary pool for Venables' 10 on-field position coaches is now up to $7.839 million a year.

Oklahoma Assistant Coaches Contracts

NOTE: Bedenbaugh and Bates received contract extensions and Alley and Deakin received new contracts on Tuesday. All other contracts were approved by the OU Board of Regents in January.

  • QB coach/offensive coordinator Seth Littrell: $1.1m, contract through January 2027.
  • LB coach/defensive coordinator Zac Alley: $900,000, contract through January 2027.
  • TE coach/co-offensive coordinator Joe Jon Finley: from $520,000 to $900,000 and extended through January 2027.
  • DL coach/assistant head coach/co-defensive coordinator Todd Bates: from $700,000 to $800,000, through January 2027.
  • CB-Nickel coach/assistant head coach for defense/co-defensive coordinator Jay Valai: from $700,000 to $750,000, extended through January 2026.
  • WR coach/passing game coordinator Emmett Jones: from $550,000 to $664,000, extended through January 2026.
  • OL coach Bill Bedenbaugh: from $870,000 to $1.05 million, extended through January 2027.
  • DE coach Miguel Chavis: from $600,000 to $650,000, extended through January 2026.
  • RB coach DeMarco Murray: from $500,000 to $575,000, extended through January 2026.
  • DB coach Brandon Hall: from $350,000 to $500,000, extended through January 2026.
  • Director of Sports Enhancement and Strength and Conditioning coach Jerry Schmidt: from $650,000 to $700,000 and extended through January 2026.
  • Special teams analyst Doug Deakin: Received a one-year, $180,000 contract.
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John E. Hoover
JOHN E. HOOVER

John is an award-winning journalist whose work spans five decades in Oklahoma, with multiple state, regional and national awards as a sportswriter at various newspapers. During his newspaper career, John covered the Dallas Cowboys, the Kansas City Chiefs, the Oklahoma Sooners, the Oklahoma State Cowboys, the Arkansas Razorbacks and much more. In 2016, John changed careers, migrating into radio and launching a YouTube channel, and has built a successful independent media company, DanCam Media. From there, John has written under the banners of Sporting News, Sports Illustrated, Fan Nation and a handful of local and national magazines while hosting daily sports talk radio shows in Oklahoma City, Tulsa and statewide. John has also spoken on Capitol Hill in Oklahoma City in a successful effort to put more certified athletic trainers in Oklahoma public high schools. Among the dozens of awards he has won, John most cherishes his national "Beat Writer of the Year" from the Associated Press Sports Editors, Oklahoma's "Best Sports Column" from the Society of Professional Journalists, and Two "Excellence in Sports Medicine Reporting" Awards from the National Athletic Trainers Association. John holds a bachelor's degree in Mass Communications from East Central University in Ada, OK. Born and raised in North Pole, Alaska, John played football and wrote for the school paper at Ada High School in Ada, OK. He enjoys books, movies and travel, and lives in Broken Arrow, OK, with his wife and two kids.

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