Oklahoma, Brent Venables Agree to Long-Term Contract Extension

The Oklahoma Sooners have their guy.

After Lincoln Riley left the program high and dry in 2021 — following multiple seasons of falling short of a national title while littered with elite talent — the Sooners hired Brent Venables as the head coach.

In Venables’ first season with the program, he posted a 6-7 record, leaving a large portion of fans disappointed and pessimistic. Then, last season, he turned things around as Oklahoma posted. 10-3 record and seem to have picked up steam heading into the SEC.

Equipped with a strong amount of talent, Venables projects to continue building off the ten-win season moving into the 2024 college football season, and Oklahoma rewarded him ahead of time.

Venables, Oklahoma agree to six-year contract extension

Barring an atrocious first few seasons in the SEC, Venables projects to be the Sooners’ head coach for quite some time now. The program has proven they’re willing to be patient with him, as he turned things around from a 6-7 season just two years ago to a ten-win season last year.

Even with a rough inaugural season in the SEC, Venables will be hanging around for the Sooners, leading the program through the gauntlet of a league. Oklahoma signed Venables to a six-year contract extension, giving him a raise in doing so. ESPN’s Pete Thamel was the not to break the news on Friday morning.

Oklahoma coach Brent Venables during a practice for the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) football team in Norman, Okla., Friday, Aug. 4, 2023.

“Sources: Oklahoma has agreed to a new six-year contract for coach Brent Venables,” Thamel shared on Twitter. “The new six-year deal includes a significant raise for Venables, and there’s been an uptick in overall program commitment as OU heads to the SEC.”

Venables has recruited well, had a ten-win season and done just about everything correctly — now all he needs to do is lead a smooth transition into the SEC. There is stability in Norman as Oklahoma will continue to have an elite crop of talent rolling through and a clear-cut culture and identity as a program.

READ MORE: CFB Power Rankings Through 2026: Where’s Oklahoma Sooners Rank?

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Follow Kade Kimble on Twitter.