Why Oklahoma Coach Brent Venables is Taking Over Defensive Playcalling in 2025

Venables’ fourth season at the helm in Norman will be critical. 

The Sooners fell on their face in their first trek through the SEC, finishing 6-7 after falling to Navy in the Armed Forces Bowl. 

Disaster in 2025 will likely be followed by sweeping changes at the Switzer Center, but that added pressure didn’t push Venables to formally take back defensive playcalling. 

“Every year is big for me,” he said. “… I've literally had that mindset my entire career. Every game's that way. Every day I show up, something's on the line. My job's on the line. I've had that for 30 years.

“… I've been fighting for my job every year, like somebody's holding me under the water trying to drown me. And that's been my mindset, that's been my attitude when I come to work every day. So nothing's changing for me. Do we need to be better? You're damn right. Does your mindset gotta change? Nope.”

Venables filled out his defensive staff by adding Nate Dreiling as the inside linebackers coach and Wes Goodwin as outside linebackers coach. 

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He backed the skills of the rest of his defensive staff members, but he said ultimately he wants the pressure of calling plays to fall on his shoulders.

“When we get in that stadium on game day and it’s third-and-12 and you’ve got to make the call, everything’s quiet for me,” Venables said. “It ain’t loud. It ain’t, oh my God with all this pressure. It ain’t that way for me. It’s a safe place for me… For whatever reason that’s how it’s always been for me.”

Though new offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle has only ben with the program for a few months, Venables said he’s comfortable with how his new quarterback guru runs his side of the ball. 

Ted Roof initially served as Venables’ defensive coordinator before Alley, but the changes offered another opportunity for Venables to evaluate how the coaching staff operates on the sideline. 

Venables’ defensive acumen was the basis for landing the job at Oklahoma, and he’s already revamped that side of the ball. 

Now, he’s ready to lead the charge with the call sheet back in his hands every Saturday. 

“I’m built for that,” Venables said. “And so I don’t say that in any kind of egotistical way or I would do way better than anybody else. I just know that’s a very comfortable place for me. 

“Good or bad, I’m comfortable in that space. And I know that programmatically I feel really good about.”