Oklahoma Football Coaches Receive Extensions, Raises Heading Into Year Two
NORMAN — Brent Venables’ boss is still a believer.
Oklahoma’s first-year head coach turned in a 6-7 record in 2021, but Castiglione reiterated his faith and belief in Venables — illustrated best on Tuesday when virtually the entire coaching staff received contract extensions, and some received raises.
“Absolutely,” Castiglione said after the OU Board of Regents approved changes to the football staff’s contract terms. “We have a great coaching staff. We want to make sure that the contract terms are aligned with what we intended.”
While the staff’s base salaries and original contract terms remain unchanged, running backs coach DeMarco Murray and safeties coach Brandon Hall received annual increases, while others had their contracts extended through January 2025 and some were extended through January 2026.
- Murray’s base salary stays at $400,000, but his agreement was modified through January 2025 and was increased (from “outside income from unrestricted private funds for personal services, fundraising, promotional, public relations, endorsements, speaking engagements, etc.) from $115,000 to $215,000 — a total of $615,000 a year.
- Hall’s increase also falls in the personal services category and jumps from $15,000 to $65,000, in addition to his base salary of $300,000.
- Offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh ($820,000 per his 2022 deal) was extended through January 2025.
- Defensive tackles coach Todd Bates ($665,000) was extended through January 2026.
- Defensive ends coach Miguel Chavis ($600,000) was extended through January 2025.
- Offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Jeff Lebby ($1.9 million; his $100,000 raise was written into his original contract) was extended through January 2026.
- Cornerbacks coach Jay Valai ($700,000) was extended through January 2025.
- Tight ends coach Joe Jon Finley ($520,000) was extended through January 2025. Additionally, Finley’s “annual contract benefit” of $175,000 remains the same but was reclassified to a personal services clause that was increased from $60,000 to $235,000.
- Defensive coordinator Ted Roof did not receive a contract extension. His original deal from last year includes a $50,000 raise in base salary to $1.15 million. His original contract runs through January 2025.
Also, new wide receivers coach Emmett Jones’ hire was approved at a base salary of $285,000 plus personal services totaling $265,000. His contract term was set through January 2025.
Most years, this has been a time to report staff raises. But with only two coaches receiving pay adjustments after the program’s first losing season in 24 years, the emphasis is on multi-year contract extensions.
Castiglione said nothing is certain in a football coach’s world, but contract extensions are always a step toward stability.
“Some of our coaches were targets of other universities in the hiring season,” Castiglione said. “I don't think we’re completely through the hiring season yet because a certain number of NFL teams are still putting their own coaching rosters together, and who knows what trickle down effect that might have.
“So we're very mindful, we do as much as we can proactively to not only show confidence, but also the fact that we are keeping our eye on most of those things and building our program. And our coaches have done a heck of a job with recruiting … and what our athletes are doing to commit to the University of Oklahoma and our plan to constantly looking at everything we're doing to try to get better and improve, so we can be the position to be successful this coming fall.”
