Oklahoma and head coach Brent Venables agree to contract extension

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The Oklahoma Sooners and head coach Brent Venables have agreed to a contract extension, the university announced on Thursday. OU Vice President and Director of Athletics Roger Denny announced that Venables has agreed to a new contract that spans six total years. The contract, which is pending approval from the OU Board of Regents, adds two seasons to Venables' current deal, and will run through the 2031 season.

Venables was hired as OU's 23rd full-time head coach in December of 2021. He replaced Lincoln Riley, who left to be the head coach at USC a week earlier. In his four seasons at the helm in Norman, Venables has compiled a 32-20 overall record.

In his first season in 2022, the Sooners went 6-7, but Oklahoma rebounded to a 10-3 mark in 2023, which was their final season in the Big 12 Conference. After Venables signed a contract extension ahead of the 2024 season, that year brought the program's first campaign in the Southeastern Conference, and with it, another 6-7 season.

In Year 4 in 2025, Venables posted his best season yet as a head coach. Oklahoma went 10-3 and made the College Football Playoff, losing in the first round. The Sooners won four big SEC games in the month of November that they absolutely had to have, making the CFP after going just 6-2 through the month of October.

Now, Venables is entering his fifth year as Oklahoma's head coach in 2026, and he's tied to the Sooners long-term. The new deal gives him more stability at OU, after the rocky 2024 season, when some questioned how long he'd be the head coach of the Sooners. His 2025 performance quieted many of his doubters, and now he has inked another extension. The board will meet in mid-September, with Venables' new deal on the agenda.

Venables started his coaching career as an assistant coach at Kansas State, before coming to OU to join Bob Stoops' inaugural staff as a co-defensive coordinator in 1999. He was promoted to solo defensive coordinator ahead of the 2004 season, before leaving Oklahoma after the 2011 season to join the Clemson staff in the same role. After a very successful stint there, Venables was hired back at OU, this time as the head coach of the Sooners.

Venables has won three national championships (2000, 2016, and 2018) as a defensive coordinator, and he has been the defensive coordinator in five other (2003, 2004, 2008, 2015, and 2019) national championship games.

Director of Athletics Roger Denny on Brent Venables' extension

"Since I arrived at Oklahoma, I've had the opportunity to spend a lot of time with Coach Venables, his staff and our student-athletes. It didn't take long to see how well suited he is to lead Oklahoma Football. Coach Venables is elite at building culture, not just in the locker room, but throughout the entire program. Our players are drawn to him. They trust him, they believe in him and he has a unique ability to connect with young men and bring out the best in them. What I hope this extension says to our players is that in an environment that changes every day, we're investing in stability for our program. Amidst the disruption of college sports, Oklahoma will be a place where student-athletes will find consistency … The work on his extension began shortly after our team's run to the College Football Playoff, and one of my top priorities in my first several months as athletics director was to make sure we saw that process through. I believe strongly in Coach Venables, in the culture he has built and in the structure we have in place around our football program. There simply isn't a better ambassador for Oklahoma Football than Brent Venables. He represents this university and our program with incredible passion and authenticity, and I'm excited to continue building with him. Adding two years to his contract gives us the stability and continuity we need as we pursue championships for all of Sooner Nation."

Head Coach Brent Venables on new contract extension

"I'm incredibly grateful for the trust, belief and support of President Joe Harroz, Athletics Director Roger Denny, Chair and Special Advisor for OU Athletics Randall Stephenson and our Board of Regents. It is truly an honor and a privilege to serve as the head coach at the University of Oklahoma and to represent a place with such a proud tradition, an incredibly passionate and loyal fan base and expectations that match our own … This opportunity and commitment reflect so many people. None of it would be possible without the tremendous investment, hard work and dedication of our players, coaches and staff. I'm incredibly thankful for each of them and for the belief they have in what we are building together … Most importantly, my family and I love Oklahoma. This is our home, and we are deeply grateful for the way the Oklahoma family has embraced and supported us … We understand the responsibility that comes with representing the University of Oklahoma," added Venables. "We don't take that responsibility — or this opportunity — for granted. We are incredibly excited about the future of Oklahoma Football and remain fully committed to building a program that our university, our former players and our fans can be proud of; one that consistently competes for championships and represents Oklahoma the right way … We're grateful, we're hungry and our best is still in front of us."

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This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: Oklahoma and head coach Brent Venables agree to contract extension

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