Oklahoma
COLUMN: Poachers Came for Oklahoma Coaches, But Brent Venables’ Culture Fought Them Off
COLUMN: Venables on staff retention, culture
DALLAS — Oklahoma coach Brent Venables had a few nervous moments in the offseason.
Perhaps none as nervous as when Ohio State tried to hire running backs coach DeMarco Murray.
“That’s the one that y’all know of,” Venables said Tuesday when I asked him to recount the events that almost led one of the program’s most decorated players to Columbus. “And there’s been plenty more.”
Murray was a Sooner, is a Sooner, and apparently will remain a Sooner as long as Venables will have him — that is, as long as he continues to recruit running backs at an elite level and coach them up in Norman.
“DeMarco has been in high demand,” Venables said in a small-group interview at SEC Media Days.
So Murray got a nice raise, from $500,000 a year to $575,000, and received a contract extension through 2026.
When asked about the effort to retain Murray, Venables offered a sideways explanation for why OU assistants seem to get raises and extension every year.
“I got a whole staff of that happening,” Venables said. “ … There were several this year. Several. It’s the NFL, it’s other college teams, and people just, they’re gonna — they don’t know if you’re gonna say yes unless you ask.”
Venables said he’s run out of fingers trying to count the OU assistants who’ve had job offers.
“More than one hand,” he said, “where — this season alone.”
He said some of his staff don’t even bother to tell him they’re being courted elsewhere.
“We’ve had several coaches that have been approached,” he said, “and they didn’t even come to me and say, you know, ‘Hey, Coach, I got this opportunity.’ You know? Because they know I might blow him up like, ‘Man, why would you even think about that? That’d be the stupidest thing you’ve ever done.’ ”
Venables was laughing when he delivered that last line, but he was also dead serious.
“I have that to me, that kind of cactus mindset, you know — heavy sun, no water; that’s what should be for everybody,” he admits.
There aren’t many factors more important to building and sustaining a program than consistency on the coaching staff. Just ask Bob Stoops. Stoops had some a little early turnover, but his staff settled quickly and stayed static for the long haul. It was when he started consistently losing coordinators — Mark Mangino, Chuck Long, Mike Stoops, Kevin Wilson — that winning started to get harder.
So Venables — a key member of those Stoops staffs for 12 years and a vital element of Dabo Swinney’s dynastic tenure at Clemson for a decade — understands inherently how important retaining a staff can be.
“I’m very thankful,” Venables said. “Got an amazingly talented staff. That’s what I’m most proud of, is they have an appreciation for what Oklahoma is all about.”
Establishing a lasting culture at Oklahoma — additive to what Stoops built, beyond what Lincoln Riley had — has become one of Venables top priorities as he heads into his third season.
“There’s nothing wrong with being ambitious and there’s nothing wrong with maybe wanting to create a little more value for yourself and maximizing your value in that space,” Venables said. “I’m appreciative of our administration for being aggressive and responding every step of the way.
“Since I’ve been here, in a very short amount of time, Joe Castiglione and President Harroz have given us everything we need to retain our guys and put them at the market value that they deserve. As leaders, they recognize that’s the cost of doing business.”
Venables had to replace his defensive coordinator and linebackers coach this year, with Zac Alley stepping in for Ted Roof. He promoted Seth Littrell to offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach after Jeff Lebby became Mississippi State’s head coach. And he hired Doug Deakin to step in as special teams analyst when Jay Nunez took a coaching job at Alabama.
That’s a pretty good amount of turnover for one year. But among position coaches, everyone else is back in 2024, and Venables couldn’t be happier.
“I value people,” he said. “It’s a people business. More important than your acumen is finding great people that will align with your beliefs, your values, and you’ve got to be talented, too.”
Oklahoma
Woman hospitalized after house fire in northeast Oklahoma City
OKLAHOMA CITY (KOKH) — Authorities say one woman was taken to the hospital following an early morning house fire in northeast Oklahoma City.
Around 5 a.m. on Wednesday, Oklahoma City firefighters were called to a house fire near N.E. 13th St. and Missouri.
When crews arrived, they found the victim on the front porch of the home.
“When they got off the rig and initiated offensive fire attack, found one victim on the front porch. Appeared she was maybe suffering from smoke inhalation. The fire was relatively small. It was contained to one bedroom in the back. The patient was transported, was treated here, and then transported to OU,” said Batt. Chief Brad Smith, with the Oklahoma City Fire Department.
Officials said the fire originated in the back of the house, in a back bedroom near the closet.
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However, the cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Oklahoma
Bode Sparrow commits Friday: why BYU is Oklahoma’s biggest threat for the Davis star
Kaysville (Utah) Davis athlete Bode Sparrow cut his list to four back in May and has now locked in his commitment date.
Sparrow is a tremendous player on both sides of the ball and checks in as the No. 77 player nationally in the Rivals Industry Ranking, an equally weighted average that utilizes all three major recruiting services.
He will make his long awaited college choice this Friday, May 25 from a final four of BYU, Oklahoma, Oregon and Utah.
In handicapping this race, two schools jump out for us. The first is Oklahoma. I put a commit prediction in for the Sooners back in March and there was some buzz that he could commit around that time.
Sparrow decided to hold off making an early decision in order to take his official visits. Oklahoma was the first visit locked in and for awhile, the only visit that was set, giving even more credence to the Sooners being the team to beat.
“They really believe in me and have a vision for me there,” Sparrow told us after his official visit. “They show me so much love and I have such great relationships with the coaches there.
“I also really like the town of Norman and the plan in place for me from a safety/scheme standpoint. They really have everything I’m looking for in a school. Brent Venables is great, a defensive minded head coach and I just love the all around fit.”
Sparrow followed up his visit to OU with trips to Oregon, Utah and BYU. The Ducks made a big impression and should be considered a dark horse. They are easily one of the toughest schools to recruit against and it would surprise no one if Sparrow ends in Eugene.
Saying that, the school that is gaining a lot of momentum and looks to be Oklahoma’s biggest challenger is BYU. For months we talked to some close to Sparrow, college coaches and trainers who all said the same thing, ‘don’t rule out BYU in the end.’
No one has recruited Sparrow longer than the Cougs. He has been on campus more than any other school, he’s strong in his LDS faith and he has a great connection with the BYU staff including head coach Kalani Sitake.
BYU was able to get the final visit over the weekend and there is some quiet confidence in Provo as well as from a few other recruits/commits who were also on the visit. With the church connection, we’ve long said in a head to head battle, BYU is very tough to beat, especially for an in-state player.
Saying that, there are still Sooner commits we’ve talked to convinced Sparrow is still headed to Norman. That’s why this recruitment has become one of the more fascinating ones to follow this cycle, it’s one of those rare instances where days away from a decision, it could still go in multiple directions.
For now, my commit prediction remains on Oklahoma but BYU is closing fast and this one close to a toss up with a decision quickly approaching.
Oklahoma
OHP remembers K-9 for protecting countless lives during career
OKLAHOMA CITY (KOKH) — Officials with the Oklahoma Highway Patrol are remembering a dedicated K-9 officer who passed away earlier this month.
K-9 Dak was born in 2014 and began serving with the OHP in 2015.
Throughout his distinguished career, officials say Dak’s exceptional instincts made a significant impact on public safety across the state.
During his career, Dak was instrumental in the seizure of over 2,000 pounds of marijuana, 46 pounds of cocaine, 151 pounds of methamphetamine, and 99 pounds of fentanyl.
“These remarkable accomplishments represent countless lives protected and communities made safer through Dak’s service,” OHP wrote.
Dak worked his final shift on June 3 before peacefully passing away from natural causes on June 7.
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“More than his statistics and accomplishments, Dak was a loyal partner, trusted teammate, and beloved member of the Oklahoma Highway Patrol. His legacy will live on through the work he accomplished, the bond he shared with his handler, and the many lives he touched throughout his career,” OHP said.
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