Completed Event: Soccer at Texas State on September 4, 2025 , Tie , 1, to, 1
Final
Soccer
1
at Texas State
1
University of Oklahoma Athletics
Staff Directory
Venables, Brent
Brent Venables
- Title:
- Head Coach
A former 13-year University of Oklahoma assistant coach who won a national championship with the Sooners and two more with Clemson University during an ultra-successful 10-year stint as defensive coordinator, Brent Venables was named OU’s 23rd head football coach on Dec. 5, 2021, and has coached the Sooners to a 22-17 record in his three seasons.
Venables’ 2023 Sooners went 10-3 overall and finished in second place in the Big 12 (7-2). They ranked third nationally in total offense (507.0 ypg) and fourth in scoring offense (41.7 ppg) and led the country in defensive interceptions per game (1.5). In 2024, OU ranked 19th nationally in total defense (318.2 ypg), 24th in rushing defense (115.1 ypg), 29th in scoring defense (21.5 ppg), 36th in takeaways (21) and sixth in fumbles recovered (12).
The 54-year-old Venables served as co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Oklahoma from 1999-2003 and as associate head coach, defensive coordinator and linebackers coach from 2004-11 under former head coach Bob Stoops. Venables has coached in eight national championship games between his time at OU and Clemson, winning titles with the Sooners in 2000 and Tigers in 2016 and 2018. In 26 years as a full-time assistant coach, Venables’ teams produced 26 winning seasons, won 13 conference titles, went to 30 bowl games (including four College Football Playoff National Championship games) and won at least 10 games 22 times.
After joining Clemson prior to the 2012 season, Venables constructed one of the nation’s top defenses. From 2012-2021, the Tigers ranked first nationally in sacks (445; next most was 392) and opponent third-down conversion percentage (30.2), second in opponent pass efficiency rating (111.1) and takeaways (244; tied), third in scoring defense (17.8 ppg) and opponent completion percentage (53.3), fourth in total defense (311.4 ypg) and pass defense (190.5 ypg), fifth in interceptions (148) and sixth in rushing defense (120.9 ypg). They won league titles each year from 2015-20.
Since 2000, Venables has coached eight national award winners and 17 consensus All-Americans. In that time, 63 defensive players under his guidance have been selected in the NFL Draft (12 first-rounders), including 19 linebackers, two of whom were first-round picks.
As a defensive coordinator and linebackers coach, Venables produced winners of three Butkus Awards (OU’s Rocky Calmus in 2001 and Teddy Lehman in 2003, and CU’s Isaiah Simmons in 2019), two Nagurski Awards (OU’s Roy Williams in 2001 and Derrick Strait in 2003), two Thorpe Awards (Williams in 2001 and Strait in 2003) and one Bednarik Award (Lehman in 2003). And in 2018, Clemson defensive tackle Christian Wilkins became the school’s first winner of William V. Campbell Trophy, also known as the “Academic Heisman.”
Venables has received national accolades for his coaching and recruiting, including the Frank Broyles Award in 2016 as the nation’s top assistant coach after being a finalist in 2015. He was FootballScoop’s Defensive Coordinator of the Year in 2014 and Rivals.com’s Recruiter of the Year in 2015.
Venables’ defensive units were remarkably consistent during his 10 years with the Tigers. Each of his last eight Clemson defenses ranked in the top 15 nationally in yards allowed and seven of the last eight ranked in the top 20 in points allowed. Over his last eight years there, his units ranked first (in 2014), 10th, eighth, fourth, fifth, sixth, 15th and ninth (in 2021) in total defense. Additionally, his units ranked first or second in the ACC in total defense each of his last eight years (ranked first in six of those seasons).
Under Venables’ tutelage in 2021, Clemson ranked second nationally in scoring defense (15.0 ppg) and red zone defense (62.1 conversion percentage), fourth in sacks (3.4 per game), eighth in rushing defense (98.8 ypg) and ninth in total defense (308.4 ypg).
Venables’ 2020 Clemson defense tied for the national lead with 46 sacks, despite no player producing more than 4.5 sacks individually. His 2019 unit allowed fewer than 300 yards of total offense in each of its first 12 games, the first defense nationally since at least 1996 to accomplish that feat. Clemson held 16 straight opponents to 20 or fewer points across the 2018-19 seasons, the school’s longest streak since the 1937-40 campaigns.
Clemson’s 2018 squad led the nation in scoring defense (13.1 ppg) for the first time in school history and set a program record by recording 54 sacks.
Venables’ Clemson defenses ranked among the top 10 nationally in sacks each year from 2014-21 and ranked in the top 10 in tackles for loss from 2013-20. The units led the nation in TFLs every year from 2013-16.
From 1999-2011, Venables helped OU to the 2000 national championship, three other national championship game appearances (2003, ’04 and ’08) and seven Big 12 titles. He was a finalist for the Broyles Award in 2006 when the Sooners led the Big 12 in total defense and scoring defense.
Oklahoma linebackers under Venables earned three Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year awards, five Big 12 Defensive Newcomer of the Year accolades and six first-team All-America honors. Ten of his OU linebackers — and 31 defensive players overall — were taken in the 2000-12 NFL Drafts.
While Venables was an Oklahoma assistant, the Sooners ranked among the top 16 nationally in total defense eight times (including each year from 2000-06) and among the top 20 in scoring defense eight times. OU led the Big 12 in scoring defense on four occasions (2000, ’04, ’06 and ’11) and topped the conference in total defense three times (2003, ’04, and ’06).
Prior to joining Stoops’ first staff at OU, Venables coached linebackers at Kansas State (1996-98), serving as defensive running game coordinator in 1998, and was a graduate assistant at K-State under Bill Snyder from 1993-95.
As a player at Kansas State (1991-92), Venables earned honorable mention All-Big Eight honors in 1992 after registering 124 tackles. He began his collegiate playing career at Garden City (Kan.) Community College (1989-90), where he earned All-America honors after recording 276 tackles and was inducted into the school’s athletics hall of fame in April 2023.
A native of Salina, Kan., Venables received his bachelor’s degree in political science from Kansas State in 1992. He and his wife Julie have four children: sons Jake and Tyler and daughters Laney and Addie.
Venables’ 2023 Sooners went 10-3 overall and finished in second place in the Big 12 (7-2). They ranked third nationally in total offense (507.0 ypg) and fourth in scoring offense (41.7 ppg) and led the country in defensive interceptions per game (1.5). In 2024, OU ranked 19th nationally in total defense (318.2 ypg), 24th in rushing defense (115.1 ypg), 29th in scoring defense (21.5 ppg), 36th in takeaways (21) and sixth in fumbles recovered (12).
The 54-year-old Venables served as co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Oklahoma from 1999-2003 and as associate head coach, defensive coordinator and linebackers coach from 2004-11 under former head coach Bob Stoops. Venables has coached in eight national championship games between his time at OU and Clemson, winning titles with the Sooners in 2000 and Tigers in 2016 and 2018. In 26 years as a full-time assistant coach, Venables’ teams produced 26 winning seasons, won 13 conference titles, went to 30 bowl games (including four College Football Playoff National Championship games) and won at least 10 games 22 times.
After joining Clemson prior to the 2012 season, Venables constructed one of the nation’s top defenses. From 2012-2021, the Tigers ranked first nationally in sacks (445; next most was 392) and opponent third-down conversion percentage (30.2), second in opponent pass efficiency rating (111.1) and takeaways (244; tied), third in scoring defense (17.8 ppg) and opponent completion percentage (53.3), fourth in total defense (311.4 ypg) and pass defense (190.5 ypg), fifth in interceptions (148) and sixth in rushing defense (120.9 ypg). They won league titles each year from 2015-20.
Since 2000, Venables has coached eight national award winners and 17 consensus All-Americans. In that time, 63 defensive players under his guidance have been selected in the NFL Draft (12 first-rounders), including 19 linebackers, two of whom were first-round picks.
As a defensive coordinator and linebackers coach, Venables produced winners of three Butkus Awards (OU’s Rocky Calmus in 2001 and Teddy Lehman in 2003, and CU’s Isaiah Simmons in 2019), two Nagurski Awards (OU’s Roy Williams in 2001 and Derrick Strait in 2003), two Thorpe Awards (Williams in 2001 and Strait in 2003) and one Bednarik Award (Lehman in 2003). And in 2018, Clemson defensive tackle Christian Wilkins became the school’s first winner of William V. Campbell Trophy, also known as the “Academic Heisman.”
Venables has received national accolades for his coaching and recruiting, including the Frank Broyles Award in 2016 as the nation’s top assistant coach after being a finalist in 2015. He was FootballScoop’s Defensive Coordinator of the Year in 2014 and Rivals.com’s Recruiter of the Year in 2015.
Venables’ defensive units were remarkably consistent during his 10 years with the Tigers. Each of his last eight Clemson defenses ranked in the top 15 nationally in yards allowed and seven of the last eight ranked in the top 20 in points allowed. Over his last eight years there, his units ranked first (in 2014), 10th, eighth, fourth, fifth, sixth, 15th and ninth (in 2021) in total defense. Additionally, his units ranked first or second in the ACC in total defense each of his last eight years (ranked first in six of those seasons).
Under Venables’ tutelage in 2021, Clemson ranked second nationally in scoring defense (15.0 ppg) and red zone defense (62.1 conversion percentage), fourth in sacks (3.4 per game), eighth in rushing defense (98.8 ypg) and ninth in total defense (308.4 ypg).
Venables’ 2020 Clemson defense tied for the national lead with 46 sacks, despite no player producing more than 4.5 sacks individually. His 2019 unit allowed fewer than 300 yards of total offense in each of its first 12 games, the first defense nationally since at least 1996 to accomplish that feat. Clemson held 16 straight opponents to 20 or fewer points across the 2018-19 seasons, the school’s longest streak since the 1937-40 campaigns.
Clemson’s 2018 squad led the nation in scoring defense (13.1 ppg) for the first time in school history and set a program record by recording 54 sacks.
Venables’ Clemson defenses ranked among the top 10 nationally in sacks each year from 2014-21 and ranked in the top 10 in tackles for loss from 2013-20. The units led the nation in TFLs every year from 2013-16.
From 1999-2011, Venables helped OU to the 2000 national championship, three other national championship game appearances (2003, ’04 and ’08) and seven Big 12 titles. He was a finalist for the Broyles Award in 2006 when the Sooners led the Big 12 in total defense and scoring defense.
Oklahoma linebackers under Venables earned three Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year awards, five Big 12 Defensive Newcomer of the Year accolades and six first-team All-America honors. Ten of his OU linebackers — and 31 defensive players overall — were taken in the 2000-12 NFL Drafts.
While Venables was an Oklahoma assistant, the Sooners ranked among the top 16 nationally in total defense eight times (including each year from 2000-06) and among the top 20 in scoring defense eight times. OU led the Big 12 in scoring defense on four occasions (2000, ’04, ’06 and ’11) and topped the conference in total defense three times (2003, ’04, and ’06).
Prior to joining Stoops’ first staff at OU, Venables coached linebackers at Kansas State (1996-98), serving as defensive running game coordinator in 1998, and was a graduate assistant at K-State under Bill Snyder from 1993-95.
As a player at Kansas State (1991-92), Venables earned honorable mention All-Big Eight honors in 1992 after registering 124 tackles. He began his collegiate playing career at Garden City (Kan.) Community College (1989-90), where he earned All-America honors after recording 276 tackles and was inducted into the school’s athletics hall of fame in April 2023.
A native of Salina, Kan., Venables received his bachelor’s degree in political science from Kansas State in 1992. He and his wife Julie have four children: sons Jake and Tyler and daughters Laney and Addie.
FB Highlights: OU 24, Michigan 13
Saturday, September 06
Brent Venables Postgame vs Michigan
Saturday, September 06
Ben Arbuckle Postgame vs Michigan
Saturday, September 06
In the Booth: OU vs Michigan
Saturday, September 06
