How Oklahoma's Coaching Staff, Scouting Department Have Complemented Each Other

The Sooners have adapted well to the constantly-changing landscape of college football.

With student-athletes now allowed to profit off of revenue sharing and name, image and likeness, Oklahoma added a support staff to complement the Sooners’ coaching staff during the offseason.

“In many ways, things have not changed for our staff, but they’re supported in a lot of ways, more so even than what a recruiting staff has been able to do in the past,” OU coach Brent Venables said on the SEC’s weekly teleconference.

The Sooners hired Jim Nagy as their general manager in February. Nagy worked as the Senior Bowl’s Executive Director from 2018 to 2025, and before that, he worked for more than two decades in NFL front offices.

Once he arrived in Norman, Nagy added Lake Dawson and Taylor Redd as assistant general managers, both of whom spent many years within NFL front offices.

Nagy and his support staff allow Venables and the Sooners’ coaches to focus on what’s most important: putting together a winning game plan.

“They’re constantly working on the roster and retention and recruiting and player identification,” Venables said. “The contract negotiations, the salary cap, roster retention. Trying to get out in front of that, as well. That’s a group that is constantly working on those types of things.”

The work from Nagy and the scouting department, though, hasn’t erased all of the coaches’ responsibilities in acquiring talent.

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Venables stressed the importance of the coaching staff building rapport with recruits and student-athletes in the transfer portal.

“You still need the coaches as much as you’ve ever needed the coaches in both recruiting and evaluation,” Venables said.

The meshing between the coaching staff and the support staff is new for everyone involved. Name, image and likeness didn’t go into effect until 2021, and revenue sharing was permitted in July.

Venables praised the collaboration between OU’s coaches and staffers, allowing for successful outcomes when making tough decisions.

“The best part of all of it is the collaboration, which has really been easy,” Venables said. “Another level of credibility to the excellent staff.”

Recently, those collaborations have led to serious recruiting momentum.

With 19 commits, Oklahoma is ranked No. 21 in 247Sports’ Class of 2026 recruiting rankings. The Sooners are No. 1 in the 2027 rankings with five pledges, four of which are graded as 4-stars or better.

Venables believes that buy-in from the school’s administration has allowed the support staff to complement OU’s coaches, allowing the Sooners to continue on their upward trajectory.

“This is a place that recognizes the challenges,” Venables said. “They recognize the turbulence that’s out there in college football. I appreciate — and I’m thankful for — their vision, long term and short term, both.”