REPORT: Sooners Targeting Brent Venables as Next Head Coach

Posted: Dec 5, 2021 / 10:52 AM CST

Updated: Dec 5, 2021 / 10:54 AM CST

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Per a report from ESPN’s Chris Low, Oklahoma is targeting Brent Venables as the 23rd head coach in school history.

Veteran Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables has emerged as the top target for the @OU_Football head coaching job, and the two sides could finalize a deal as early as today. Ole Miss’ Jeff Lebby is Venables’ top choice as offensive coordinator, sources tell ESPN.
— Chris Low (@ClowESPN) December 5, 2021

Venables has spent the last nine years at Clemson where he’s won two national championships as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach. In 2018 Venables was named associate head coach of the Tigers.

Prior to that, Venables spent 12 years in Norman as defensive coordinator, co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach. He was also apart of the 2000 national championship team.

In 2016, Venables won the Broyles Award given to the nations top assistant coach. He’s also the highest paid assistant coach in college football. He’s turned down multiple head coaching jobs over the years including Auburn last season, per ESPN.

If the Sooners bring aboard Jeff Lebby, he’s not stranger to this area either. Lebby played his college ball at OU before a spinal injury ended his career. Lebby stayed at the school and became an assistant.

The last two seasons Lebby has been a finalist for the Broyles Award. He’s spent the last two years at Ole Miss where he turned Matt Corrall into a Heisman contender and averaged over 500 yards of total offense in 2021. In 2020, the Rebels finished seventh in total offense.

Lebby spent two seasons at UCF before his time in Oxford with Josh Heupel helping star pupils like McKenzie Milton and Dillon Gabriel succeed.

Prior to that Lebby coached at Baylor under Art Briles who is his father-in-law. He was there from 2008-2016 and was on staff during the Baylor football scandal of 2015.