Oklahoma Sooners just did what fans would have frowned upon two years ago regarding Brent Venables
The Oklahoma Sooners made the right decision to give Brent Venables a contract extension, and it will show soon.
The Oklahoma Sooners are right back where they belong. After years of rebuilding, retooling, and weathering the transition to the SEC, Oklahoma has re-entered the conversation as one of the best teams in college football. The man responsible for that turnaround, coach Brent Venables, just got rewarded for it with a 6-year contract extension.
Venables is entering his 5th season leading the Sooners, and the program’s trajectory under his watch tells the story of why this extension makes sense. His first year, Oklahoma went 6-7, a rough start that was understandable given the state Lincoln Riley left the program in.
Year two brought a 10-3 record and a sense that things were heading in the right direction, but that was the Sooners’ final season in the Big 12. The first year in the SEC? Another 6-7 finish, one that had fans questioning whether Venables was the right guy or whether Oklahoma even belonged in the SEC.
Then came last season. The Sooners went 10-3, fielded the best defense in college football, made the College Football Playoff, and nearly won their first-round game before their inability to hold a lead cost them a trip to the second round. It wasn’t a perfect season, but it changed the entire conversation around Venables and this program.
The 2026 Sooners could be even better
A lot of people have this team pegged as a sneaky national championship contender, and that’s fair. Oklahoma had the best defense in the country last year paired with a terrible offense, and they still made the playoff. This year, the offense should be better with a healthy John Mittermeier, more weapons around him from the transfer portal (wide receivers and tight ends), and hopefully a stronger run game.
On the defensive side, the Sooners lost some players but retooled everything they lost. They still had strong players left on the roster and boast a retention rate unlike any other school on that side of the ball. The expectation now is clear: anything short of making the College Football Playoff is a failure. Venables himself might feel like even a first-round playoff exit falls short of the standard.
Why the extension was the right call
Some would argue Oklahoma should be in the national championship conversation every single year. That was true in the ’90s, but this is a different era. NIL has leveled the playing field, and many programs now have similar advantages. The landscape is more equal than it has ever been.
What Venables has done in that environment is build a culture. He’s been dominant on the recruiting trail the last 2 years. And, from all accounts, the classes coming in are supposed to be even better. He’s figured out how to coach at Oklahoma, and that’s something not just anybody can do.
A few years ago, fans might have batted an eye at a 6-year commitment to Venables. It signals that the program isn’t just back in the conversation — it plans to stay there.
