Oklahoma
Everything Brent Venables Said Monday On Seth Littrell and Oklahoma’s Staff Changes
Oklahoma coach Brent Venables talked Monday night on his weekly coach’s show, “Sooner Sports Talk With Brent Venables,” about his decision to fire offensive coordinator Seth Littrell and replace him with tight ends coach Joe Jon Finley and offensive analyst Kevin John.
Here’s everything Venables said about the situation:
“Well, a lot goes into you making those types of changes. And there’s a — it’s over the last several months. There’s a body of work that you look at all of it and evaluate it. And obviously we haven’t played winning football, you know, on offense. And so you always go back and look at why. And there’s certainly, you know, we know what some of the issues have been from a roster standpoint and injury standpoint, and those are very real, without question. But, at the end of the day, you know, you look at, OK, if we continue to do what we’ve been doing, you know, there’s a good chance we’re going to continue to have the same results.
“And so I think about, again and again, this goes way back — all the way to the very beginning of of spring and winter and all that, and through the summer and then the season itself. And I, again, I look at everything from, you know, game plan, play design, sequencing, leadership, you know, the details, the little things. And then I look at, you know, what our players have been doing. Are they — are we straining? Are we showing up (and) competing at practice? We competing hard in the game? I’m not saying play perfect, you know. You know, do we know what we’re doing? All of those things go into it.
“And at the end of the day, just felt that, you know, I gave it its time. You know? Where I didn’t feel like there was — I was rushing to judgment and everything doesn’t fall at the feet of coach Littrell either. I would be remiss if I didn’t say that. And incredibly hard, because, you know, so many people are affected. There’s a real domino effect. But the end of the day, I got to do what’s best for the players and certainly the program, and that’s what ultimately led to, you know, the decision.
“And so it’s a change in leadership, a change in the voice. It’s a change in, again, game planning, it’s a change in perspective. It’s a change in the coaching, it’s a change in the sequencing on game day, all of those types of things. And again, maybe it provides the spark, too. And maybe, you know, I know that we’re somewhere in the hundreds in all the different categories, and it’s, you know, completely unacceptable and embarrassing and well below the standard. And it doesn’t, you know, reflect, who Oklahoma has been for a really long time. I had a historical lens that I got to look at.
“And so I know that there’s lots of teams around college football — you know, there’s 20 of them, I don’t know — but there’s lots of teams that have similar-type issues. You know, you have injuries, maybe you have a young quarterback, maybe have a new offensive line, and you got some guys banged up there, and there’s a continuity thing, and then you have several guys on offense that are in their first year, whether they’re an older guy or a younger guy. And so I look at that, but I know that we’re not the only ones. But why are we historically not where we need to be?
“And there’s been some improvement. It’s been incredibly incremental. You don’t sound right by saying that, because at the end of the day, the result has been the result, and it’s all crap. And so for me, I’ve got to, again, look out for everybody else. And even, you know, it — maybe it provides a spark, maybe it creates a little more edge, although I’ve felt like we’ve had great engagement and great will to invest week in and week out by both the players and the staff. But maybe this provides a little bit of a spark.
“And again, there will be real change. You know, the things that I just said will be different, even though there’s people that are still here on that side of the ball. And the things that I said are very real, the things that can be different and maybe better and maybe it’s whether it’s a placebo effect or not, I do believe, if we just make some incremental improvement, play to our potential, do the things that the game requires you to do in order to execute and win — No. 1, take care of the ball. And our three losses, you know, we didn’t take care of the ball. And we had opportunities to score when we did turn the ball over, and we didn’t … punish people.
“And this week was a great example that was one-sided in those turnovers — they score, and we don’t provide those opportunities, it can get out of hand in a hurry. So again, all those things went into it, and you know, again, for me and for our staff, again, you know, I’ve got to do a great job from a leadership standpoint of, you know, calling it exactly like it is, and there’s got to be accountability. And our guys know that.
“And, you know, there’s nobody that was quote-unquote surprised by it, you know. It was received. And we move forward and so I’m really excited about what I saw. Had a team meeting yesterday, and it, you know, there was a surprise there. You know, these are young guys that are looking for, you know, ‘What do we do next?’ And so, you know, again, we’ve got to be, again, confident and aggressive and sure of what we’re doing. And our guys, you know, the staff-wise, have done a great job. You know, just a very short amount of time, responded the right way.
“And obviously, we’ve promoted both Kevin Johns and Joe Jon. You know, Kevin, when he got here, was hired later in the winter, early spring, as an analyst. Coaches — off the field coaches were not allowed to coach. So he was doing, he was … looking at advanced scouting and not really in the nuts and the bolts of the X’s and the O’s and learning all the new language and things, although he’ll pick up some things, but that wasn’t his forte. He wasn’t breaking down games and having to prepare stuff day-to-day for the coaches. He’s more of an advance-scout guy, and so our guys in-house were, you know, the guys that can coach — GA’s and things like that, they’re more in the nuts and the bolts, as far as the X’s and the O’s and the verbiage and things like that.
“And we know, again, I think it’s been well documented what, you know, Kevin’s resume, what his resume is, and the success that he’s had, and the exposure that he’s had at several places, whether that was at Texas Tech or it was at Indiana for several years, where they they broke 55-plus Big Ten records and led the Big Ten in scoring when he was the OC and quarterbacks coach, I think maybe ’16, ’17. And the development piece that’s really there, he understands everywhere he’s had to maybe do more with less. I love that about coaching. You know, when you see people have success at places where maybe they don’t always have the best resources, but you’re able to maximize guys, and you’re essentially putting guys in position to be successful.
“And that was, again, behind this decision that we got to maybe do again, whatever that looks like, a better job of putting our guys in position to be successful and everybody — there’s always a collaboration. But you know what? We have figured out what doesn’t work. I know that. You know there’s certain things that haven’t worked. And so you push those to the side and try to lean in some expertise. And again, Kevin has that experience at, again, several places. Very good track record at Memphis as well and at Duke, you know, again, places where, again, you got to really get after it and work and recruit and develop and really high level success.
“Offensively, super bright. And he and I deal — we work together a lot. Have because he’s he helps me (in) a lot of different spaces, special teams and defense. Just I work through him. I got different ideas and things that I know are hard on a defense, and I studied the other opponents’ defense. And I know these are things that work and can expose them, and if they fit, you know, our game plan, then he puts things together in a presentation, to to the staff, and then they put — pick and choose what, you know, they like out of that that fits this week.
“But he and Joe Jon will work together and with, again, with the rest of staff. Everybody has a role. But those will be the kind of the two voices putting stuff together. And then, Joe Jon, you know, will call it on game day.”
Governor Kevin Stitt has said he wants the State Superintendent of Education to be a governor-elected position instead of an elected one. Political analyst Scott Mitchell examines what this would mean for the state.
Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt is urging lawmakers to send a state question to voters that would make the state superintendent an appointed position, as he named Lindel Fields of Tulsa to the role and announced a turnaround team to help implement his education agenda.
Is the State Superintendent an elected role?
Yes, the State Superintendent of Education is still an elected role. Elections are scheduled for Nov. 3, 2026.
Cons of making the superintendent an appointed position
Mitchell said making this position appointed could cause distrust among some Oklahomans
“Over the years, we’ve seen that capture of regulatory sort of is easy to do when you have term limits, then lobbies become more powerful, and they have all the history. It’s very complicated.
He also said if the position were to be elected, they would likely have the same agenda as the governor.
“Yes, and I think the governor would be absolutely saying, ‘Yes, they’re going to do what I want them to do.’”
Changing how the superintendent is chosen changes what the founding fathers set.
“Voters are going to have to say yay or nay if it gets to them, is whether or not we want to change the way that the founding fathers set up the way that we make sure that power is not concentrated in Oklahoma,” he said.
Is Ryan Walters’ term the reason Stitt wants to make this position appointed?
Mitchell said he believes the former State Superintendent played a role in the government wanting to appoint this position.
During his time as superintendent, Walters was known to have multiple controversies. He resigned in 2025, allowing Stitt to appoint Lindel Fields.
“His impact on this, even though he’s gone, is certainly evident,” said Mitchell. “Walters left midstream, right? And so the governor had a chance to appoint someone. Well, it wasn’t just an appointment; it was chaos before and relative calm and competency after. And that has given the governor an opening for people to see with their own eyes. Yeah, you can put somebody in, we’re talking about Lindel Fields, that appears to get up every day, not trying to find some, get a click on social media, but rather to do his job. And across the board, for the most part, this guy’s getting thumbs up.
Stitt said electing Fields has already given him some leverage since he has been well perceived so far.
“That allows a governor to say, Look, I’ve got some standing, some leverage to go to the voters and say, let’s put expertise as the main reason that a person’s there, not because they were able to win an election because they had some sort of populist or dramatic ideas.”
Who is running for Oklahoma State Superintendent?
Republican Ballot
- Sen. Adam Pugh
- John Cox
- Rep. Toni Hasenbeck
- Ana Landsaw
Democrat Ballot
- Craig Mcvay
- Jennettie Marshall
Independent
To learn more about each candidate, click here.
A full breakdown of candidates in the 2026 Oklahoma State Superintendent race, including party affiliation, background and key education priorities.
An Oklahoma highway could soon be named after the late country superstar, Toby Keith, pending new legislation.
House Concurrent Resolution 1019 would rename a proposed turnpike project the “Toby Keith Expressway.” This roadway is set to be built from Interstate 44 East to Interstate-35, continuing East and North to Interstate 40. This road is a part of the ACCESS Oklahoma Long-Range Plan, which is meant to update and expand the state’s turnpike system.
This resolution was adopted by the House on Wednesday.
“Toby Keith was more than a country music star. He was a proud Oklahoman who never forgot where he came from,” said Rep. Jason Blair, R-Moore. “Naming this turnpike in his honor is a fitting way to recognize a man who represented our state with ultimate patriotism and generosity.”
Keith was born in Clinton, Oklahoma, raised in Moore and resided in Norman. He died on February 5, 2024, in a battle with cancer.
“Over the course of his legendary career, Toby Keith never forgot where he came from or what he stood for,” said Sen. Lisa Standridge, R-Norman. “His Oklahoma roots shaped him, and his love of America defined him. He was a country music superstar and a true patriot. I can think of no better way to honor his memory than by naming this future stretch of Norman turnpike in his honor, creating a lasting tribute to the legacy he leaves behind.”
During his career, Keith sold over 40 million records and more than 20 number-one singles
Legislation authors believe this would commemorate the life and legacy of Toby Keith.
The bill will now head to the Senate.
To read the full House Resolution, click here.
President Donald Trump delivered a 108-minute State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress Tuesday night. The speech celebrated what Trump called a “turnaround for the ages,” highlighting what he says have been broad economic gains over the past year, as well as historic achievements in border security, immigration enforcement and foreign policy. Democrats, in their rebuttal, painted a very different picture, insisting economic conditions have worsened under Trump and that his administration shows little respect for the rule of law while striving to enrich themselves.
The members of the Oklahoma delegation, all Republicans, offered praise for the president and his message:
Sen. James Lankford (interview with Griffin Media):
“Yeah, the President spoke for just less than two hours, but he walked through some key issues that I’ve had a lot of Oklahomans ask about. Where are we on illegal immigration? How are we handling enforcement? Where’s the economy? He spent a tremendous amount of time at the beginning talking about, ‘Here are the change in prices we’ve seen in eggs, in vehicles, in mortgages and inflation rate, and the significant change that that has come down.’ He spent a lot of time talking about international issues at the end, and a lot of time talking about crime and things that Americans really talk about, and I’ve had a lot of Oklahomans ask about at the beginning. So, he spent the first half talking through, I think, the Americans—the kitchen table issues there: crime, economy, where are we going as a country? Starting more jobs, having more opportunities, the tax cut changes that are really affecting a lot of Oklahomans. And then towards the end, spend a lot of time talking about international issues, including Iran. I think he needed to spend a little more time talking about the issues with Iran, since we have such a military build-up there to explain to the American people. This is why this is such a big issue, and he spent the time doing that.”
Rep. Stephanie Bice (interview with Griffin Media):
“Well, I thought it was really an opportunity for the president to talk about what he’s done over the last year and also highlight the wins. You know, we’ve seen so many people impacted by things like border security, the Big Beautiful Bill, you know, economic reform, and so he was really highlighting that tonight…There were some really amazing stories, and it was a feel-good evening. I feel like he really—I think he connected with the American people tonight.”
Rep. Tom Cole (statement)
“Throughout the first year of President Trump’s term as the 47th President of the United States, the President has delivered on the mandate of the American people and truly ushered in the golden age. Tonight, President Trump delivered a powerful speech that illustrated just that.
“At the border, we have seen a complete one-eighty, as illegal “getaways” are down by 95 percent and migrant crossings are down by 99.99 percent. Rampant crime and disorder are turning into safer communities. We have made national security a priority again, making generational investments in America’s defense through the One Big Beautiful Bill and utilizing decisive leadership to make bold but necessary decisions like air striking Iran last year and capturing Venezuelan President Maduro earlier this year.
“I would be remiss not to mention the significant economic strides. The One Big Beautiful Bill provided the largest tax cuts in history and will bring long-lasting financial relief to families, workers, and small businesses. Years of inflation and stagnation are being replaced with renewed growth and a resurgent economy. Measurable progress has been made on cost-of-living pressures, drug costs have been lowered on the consumer, and red tape has been cut for small businesses.
“In just one year, President Trump has turned this country around. Under the previous Administration, our country had turned a blind eye to illegal immigration, we had lost respect on the world stage, and inflation was skyrocketing. Now, the American Dream is back. The United States is strong, prosperous, and respected – and, as President Trump said, the state of our union is strong.”
Rep. Kevin Hern (statement)
“Tonight, President Trump reaffirmed that when we put America first, America wins. At an unprecedented pace, he’s reversed the damage caused by four years of reckless Biden-era policies that sent our nation down the wrong path. Families are now seeing historic tax relief, lower inflation, a secure border, and peace around the world – this is only the beginning. I’m proud to stand alongside President Trump as we continue our work to lower costs, put more money in Americans’ pockets, and strengthen the American Dream for families across the country.”
Rep. Josh Brecheen (statement)
“It was an honor to attend President Trump’s State of the Union address tonight. Congress, alongside President Trump, has fought hard to restore conservative values within our great nation. While there’s still lots of work to be done, I am encouraged by the direction our nation is headed and look forward to the year ahead! The American Dream is possible once again!!!”
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