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Oklahoma coach Brent Venables is stepping back into his comfort zone, taking over defensive playcalling duties as the Sooners prepare for a crucial 2025 season. During a candid conversation on “Josh Pate’s College Football Show,” Venables explained why he’s returning to his roots.
“Instinctively, that’s a very natural space for me,” Venables said. “I’ve got a great staff that several of us have been together for a long time, so there’s a deep understanding of what we do. I’ve got my fingerprints deep all over the defense, always have and always will.”
The move comes at a critical moment for Oklahoma. They’re entering the SEC after posting their second losing record in three years — something that hadn’t happened in Norman since the 1990s.
Head coaches who call plays have faced mixed results in recent years. No playcalling head coach has hoisted a national championship trophy since Jimbo Fisher did it with Florida State back in 2013. Ryan Day at Ohio State won a national title immediately after handing off playcalling to Chip Kelly. But several top coaches — like Steve Sarkisian at Texas — still manage both responsibilities successfully.
Venables knows this balancing act well.
He’s toggled between roles during his Oklahoma tenure, trying to find the sweet spot between being an on-field tactician and the CEO-style leader needed in today’s SEC. He helped coordinate the defense during Oklahoma’s 10-win 2023 campaign before hiring Zac Alley last season.
The Sooners’ defensive staff underwent unexpected changes when Alley — a former Clemson GA often compared to Venables himself — surprisingly left to rejoin Rich Rodriguez at West Virginia. Oklahoma made a big swing for championship defensive coordinator Jim Knowles from Ohio State, but Knowles chose Penn State instead.
With co-defensive coordinators Jay Valai and Todd Bates still on staff, Venables decided the best solution was taking the reins himself.
“Why trust a first-time play caller at Oklahoma more than me?” Venables reasoned. “For a long time I was a playcaller here and in college football, and it was a very comfortable space for me, but I’ve got a tremendous staff.”
Oklahoma defense isn’t the real issue
It’s hard to argue with his logic. Venables built his reputation as one of college football’s elite defensive minds, helping lead programs to three national championships during his coordinator stints at Oklahoma and Clemson. His defenses consistently ranked among the nation’s best.
When Venables arrived in Norman, he inherited a defense that ranked 76th nationally (giving up over 390 yards per game) in Lincoln Riley’s final season. By last year, that unit had jumped into the top 20 and is now producing NFL talent like linebacker Danny Stutsman and safety Billy Bowman.
Will Brent Venables assuming Oklahoma defensive play-calling duties help Sooners bounce back in 2025 season?
The real problem has been on the other side of the ball.
Oklahoma’s offense collapsed from a top-20 unit in 2021 to 113th nationally last season under first-year coordinator Seth Littrell. Despite Littrell’s connection to the program — he played fullback on OU’s 2000 national championship team — he was fired midway through the season as the offense sputtered.
To address this weakness, the Sooners made one of the offseason’s biggest coordinator hires by landing Ben Arbuckle from Washington State. They didn’t stop there, also bringing in quarterback John Mateer from WSU — widely considered one of the best coordinator-QB packages available.
With Arbuckle handling the offensive revival, Venables can focus more energy on his defensive specialty. Oklahoma also hired NFL veteran Jim Nagy as general manager, taking roster-building responsibilities off Venables’ plate.
Taking over playcalling isn’t just a desperate move by Venables — it’s a strategic decision with recent precedent for success. Just last season, Baylor’s Dave Aranda reclaimed defensive playcalling duties and engineered a remarkable turnaround from 3-9 to 8-5.
If Venables can leverage his defensive expertise to transform Oklahoma’s 6-7 record into a winning season as they enter the SEC, he’ll buy himself valuable time to build the program in his image. For a coach entering a make-or-break year, returning to what you do best might be the smartest play call of all.
