Oklahoma's Brent Venables Backed by President, AD Despite 21-15 Overall Record

As pressure mounts on Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables with the team off to a 5-5 start in its first season as a member of the SEC and 21-15 overall since he took over in 2022, the school president and athletic director have given him a public vote of confidence.

Oklahoma president Joseph Harroz Jr. told reporters on Tuesday their commitment to Venables is "unwavering" and there is "a lot of adjustment" going on for the program and across college athletics that requires time to see through.

Athletic director Joe Castiglione echoed Harroz's sentiment, noting that while the Sooners' performance this season isn't up to their usual standards, there is a belief in Venables' ability to right the ship in 2025:

"Obviously, the season thus far has not gone as we'd hoped or planned. We're mindful that we haven't met the Oklahoma standard for 2024. That said, we truly believe in coach Venables and our team and are completely focused on both supporting them and looking at all of the ways to address the needed improvements now as soon as possible as well as in preparation for next year."

The Sooners hired Venables in December 2021 after Lincoln Riley left to become head coach at USC.

Venables had a long history as an assistant before getting his first opportunity as a head coach at Oklahoma. He started his career as a graduate assistant at Kansas State in 1993.

Bob Stoops brought Venables to Oklahoma in 1999 as co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach. He would later become the sole defensive coordinator and add the title of associate head coach during his 13 seasons with the Sooners.

After Mike Stoops rejoined his brother's staff, Venables left to become defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Clemson in January 2012. He was with the program for 10 seasons, winning two national titles in 2016 and 2018.

Venables won the Broyles Award in 2016 as the nation's top assistant coach. His stint as Sooners head coach hasn't gone as smoothly as anyone hoped when he first got the job.

Oklahoma went 6-7 in Venables' first season, the program's first year with a losing record since 1998 (5-6). The Sooners did rebound with a 10-3 record in 2023, highlighted by a 34-30 win over Texas.

Star quarterback Dillon Gabriel decided to leave Oklahoma after the season, transferring to Oregon for his final season of eligibility. The Sooners had 5-star recruit Jackson Arnold waiting to take over, but he is struggling in his sophomore season.

Arnold has thrown for 1,243 yards and 12 touchdowns in eight games. The offense ranks 93rd out of 134 FBS programs with 25.1 points per game. They have lost five of their last seven games after a 3-0 start, including a 34-3 loss to Texas on Oct. 12.

The Sooners are currently in 13th place out of 16 teams in the SEC with a 1-5 conference record. Their lone victory against an SEC opponent was against Auburn, which is also 1-5 in SEC play and 3-6 overall.

Venables signed a new six-year deal with Oklahoma in June that runs through the 2029 season and has a total value of $51.6 million. He would still be owed $44.8 million if the Sooners parted ways with him at the end of this season.