Oklahoma hires Clemson’s Brent Venables to replace Lincoln Riley

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Oklahoma hired Clemson antiaircraft coordinator Brent Venables arsenic its caput manager to replace Lincoln Riley connected Sunday night, bringing backmost a erstwhile Sooners adjunct with a agelong way grounds of success.

Venables volition beryllium introduced Monday greeting connected the field successful Norman, the schoolhouse said.

The 50-year-old Venables was connected Oklahoma’s unit nether Bob Stoops arsenic co-defensive coordinator from 1999 to 2003 and antiaircraft coordinator from 2004 to 2011. He was co-defensive coordinator erstwhile the Sooners won the 2000 nationalist title. He near Oklahoma for Clemson successful 2012 and won the Broyles Award successful 2016 arsenic the nation’s apical assistant. He’s been connected the unit of teams that person won 3 nationalist titles and appeared successful 8 nationalist title games.

“He knows the look to triumph nationalist championships and has the toughness, the cognition and the combat that I deliberation volition elevate our programme successful a batch of affirmative ways,” said Stoops, who has been serving arsenic interim manager since Riley’s astonishing departure past week for Southern California. “I’ve ever loved his energy, excitement and passionateness for the crippled — it intelligibly spills implicit to his players.”

Venables, who volition beryllium a caput manager for the archetypal time, said successful a connection he’s excited to adhd to the past of a programme that’s won 7 nationalist titles and had 7 Heisman Trophy winners. He besides said he’s embracing the Sooners’ eventual determination to the Southeastern Conference, which is acceptable for 2025.

“There’s nary question we are equipped to vie astatine the precise highest level and pull the champion players from crossed the country,” helium said. “The OU logo has ne'er been stronger.”

Under Venables, Clemson led the federation successful scoring defence successful 2018, and his 2020 portion tied for the pb successful sacks. This season, Clemson ranks 2nd nationally successful scoring defense, ninth successful full defense, eighth successful rushing defence and sixth successful walk ratio defense.

Oklahoma was caught disconnected defender erstwhile Riley took the occupation astatine USC. Stoops took implicit connected an interim ground to calm things down during recruiting.

Venables rapidly emerged arsenic a instrumentality favourite for the job. Many had hoped the Sooners could lure him backmost from Clemson arsenic antiaircraft coordinator aft the Sooners fired coordinator Mike Stoops successful 2018. The Sooners chose Alex Grinch, who near to articulation Riley astatine USC.

Venables’ archetypal concerns volition beryllium to forestall players from transferring and salvage arsenic overmuch of the recruiting people arsenic possible. Several players announced their intentions to participate the transportation portal aft Riley’s decision, including backmost Spencer Rattler. Numerous recruits decommitted, including Malachi Nelson — a five-star backmost who present says helium is heading to USC.

Riley acceptable the barroom high. He went 55-10 successful 5 seasons with the Sooners and led them to 3 College Football Playoff appearances. Quarterbacks Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray some won Heisman trophies and were No. 1 wide picks successful the NFL draft.

The Sooners went 10-2 this play and fell conscionable abbreviated of competing for what would person been a seventh consecutive Big 12 title. They mislaid their regular-season finale 37-33 to Oklahoma State.

Oklahoma diversion manager Joe Castiglione believes the Sooners are primed to execute much nether Venables.

“There is nary uncertainty successful my caput helium is the close antheral to pb OU shot into its adjacent large era,” Castiglione said successful a statement. “We couldn’t beryllium much excited for Brent to instrumentality to OU arsenic our caput coach.”

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