Brent Venables just locked down a massive six-year contract extension with Oklahoma, pushing his deal through the 2031 campaign. ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported the new agreement adds two years, and get this: it’s gonna pay the Sooners coach an average of $10.5 million per year. That money puts him as the sixth-highest-paid coach in the entire sport annually, according to USA Today’s database. But here’s the real kicker after four years at the helm: Oklahoma still hasn’t won a single postseason game under Venables. What an investment!
The Cash Stacks Up, But What About the Wins?
It’s wild to see Venables climbing into that elite money tier. Only Georgia’s Kirby Smart ($13.3 million), Ohio State’s Ryan Day ($12.6 million), USC’s Lincoln Riley ($11.5 million), Clemson’s Dabo Swinney ($11.4 million), and Texas’ Steve Sarkisian ($10.8 million) will pull in more annually. When you look at that list, right? Smart, Day, and Swinney have all hoisted national championship trophies. Riley and Sarkisian run some of the most prominent programs. Venables, though, is still chasing that first postseason W for the Sooners. This is a huge commitment from Oklahoma, clearly betting big on last season, but the pressure is definitely on to translate that salary into some hardware.
From 6-7 to CFP, But Still No Bowl Wins
Let’s be real, Venables’ tenure didn’t exactly kick off with a bang. His first season, the Sooners sputtered to a 6-7 record, losing the Cheez-It Bowl. And then, in his third year in 2024, it was another 6-7 season, ending with a loss in the Armed Forces Bowl. That’s a tough look for a program with Oklahoma’s expectations. But last season, things finally clicked. They jumped from that 6-7 mess to a 10-2 regular season record and actually made the College Football Playoff. That was huge, showing they could hang with the nation’s best. Even though they lost to Alabama in the first round of the CFP, getting there was a massive step. Still, that postseason win column remains stubbornly at zero through four years. They gotta get that monkey off their back.
Defense Is Delivering, Just Like He Always Did
One thing that absolutely isn’t surprising? The defensive turnaround. Venables is a defensive-minded coach, total defensive background. He was a beast as a defensive coach at Clemson, widely considered one of the best assistants, and he even helped Swinney grab two national championships there. Remember how Clemson struggled to stay elite after he left? Yeah, not a coincidence. So, when Oklahoma’s defense was seventh in the country and first in the SEC in points allowed per game last season, it was pure Venables magic. He got those guys playing at an elite level, exactly what pushed them into the CFP. That defensive prowess is key for them moving forward under this new deal.
This new contract locks Venables in for the foreseeable future. He’s got the program making strides, especially on defense, and they were back among the nation’s best last season. The goal now is simple: keep that momentum rolling, especially in those postseason games. The investment is huge, the expectations even bigger. Can he finally get Oklahoma over that bowl game hump? We’ll be watching to see if this new deal brings them championship-level consistency.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
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