The Oklahoma Sooners faced criticism for extending Brent Venables’ contract and giving him a modest salary increase, adding two years to his original agreement. Critics pointed to his record of 16-10 over his first two seasons, including two bowl game losses. However, supporters argue that Venables inherited a team with depleted depth due to recruiting challenges during Lincoln Riley’s tenure, evidenced by many transferred players landing at Group of Five programs.
This lack of depth contributed to a 6-7 record in Venables’ first year. Nevertheless, he quickly made improvements, increasing the team’s win total by four games, bolstering depth through high school recruits and transfers, and positioning the Sooners to compete for a playoff spot in their inaugural year in the SEC.
Despite these factors, one national college football analyst isn’t troubled by the rationale behind Venables’ contract extension. Instead, he emphasizes confidence in Oklahoma’s leadership, highlighting their track record in fostering program stability. On a recent episode of the Late Kick Show with Josh Pate, Pate expressed his trust in the Oklahoma administration.
