Oklahoma Sooners add bright young defensive mind to round out Brent Venables' coaching staff heading into 2025
The Oklahoma Sooners replaced former defensive coordinator Zac Alley on Friday, rounding out their staff heading into 2025. According to On3's SoonerScoop, the Sooners are zeroing in on hiring Nate Dreiling to join Brent Venables's staff in Norman next season. Dreiling will be coaching the team's linebackers. At just 34 years old, Nate Dreiling is […]
The Oklahoma Sooners replaced former defensive coordinator Zac Alley on Friday, rounding out their staff heading into 2025.
According to On3's SoonerScoop, the Sooners are zeroing in on hiring Nate Dreiling to join Brent Venables's staff in Norman next season. Dreiling will be coaching the team's linebackers.
At just 34 years old, Nate Dreiling is a fast riser in the coaching ranks and has been successful everywhere he's gone. Just four years ago, he was an analyst at Oregon before serving as the defensive coordinator at New Mexico State and Utah State.
In fact, Dreiling was named the interim head coach at Utah State just months into his tenure after head coach Blake Anderson was fired.
Arkansas State hired him to be their next defensive coordinator just a month ago before the Sooners came calling.
Dreiling is the son of Kansas high school football legend Randy Dreiling. Currently the head coach at St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Overland Park, Kan., Randy has won a combined 10 state titles as a head coach at Aquinas and Hutchinson High School. Randy also spent time as the defensive coordinator at South Salina High School from 1994 to 1996, Brent Venables' alma mater.
Dreiling was originally considered to be the Sooners' next defensive coordinator, replacing Alley in responsibilities. However, it's far likelier that head coach Brent Venables will return to calling plays for the defense next season.
There are some risks to this plan. The original idea of targeting Jim Knowles was to allow Brent to hand off the defense and focus on being a "CEO" head coach. After the Knowles deal fell through and the coaching cycle died down, the Sooners had to switch gears.
However, Dreiling is an accomplished coach who has turned defenses around everywhere he's been. His energy and acumen will be a boon for the Sooners for the foreseeable future.
