Oklahoma's Brent Venables had better justify exorbitant contract extension in pivotal Year 5

Brent Venables isn't considered an elite HC 

The Athletic's Chris Vannini published his annual College Football coaching tiers on Tuesday. The tiers are numbered 1-8, with 1 being the best and 8 being the worst. The outlet placed Venables in Tier 4: Usually solid. Angry Oklahoma fans may argue he should be in a higher tier, but that falls flat when looking at his résumé.

Since replacing Lincoln Riley (now with the USC Trojans) in 2022, Venables has posted a 32-20 record. This past season, the Sooners went 10-3, made the CFP but lost at home to the Alabama Crimson Tide, 34-24, in the first round. 

Let's cut Venables slack. His record would be better had Riley not flocked to USC and poached Oklahoma's players, including quarterback Caleb Williams, the 2022 Heisman winner. (Williams now stars for the Chicago Bears.) Despite that mass exodus of talent, he's managed to prevent the program from cratering, but he hasn't raised it, either.

In two of his first four seasons, the Sooners went 6-7 twice. Along with two losing records, he has no signature win. Oklahoma hasn't won an SEC title during his tenure. 

The main reason it's falling behind its rivals is that Venables is struggling to attract the stars Riley did during his five-year tenure with Oklahoma. The controversial coach churned out NFL standouts, such as QB Baker Mayfield (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb (Dallas Cowboys). Venables, meanwhile, has produced two first-round picks: Jacksonville Jaguars fourth-year offensive tackle Anton Harrison (2023 pick No. 27) and Cowboys third-year OT Tyler Guyton (2024 pick No. 29). Neither is a household name.

The gap between Texas' and Oklahoma's talent level remains wide heading into the 2026 season. Tankathon lists seven Longhorns, most notably QB Arch Manning, on its preseason big board; the site lists two Sooners.

Venables said he and the program "have belief in what [they're] building together" in his statement. He'd better be building a title contender. Sooner fans won't be happy about making a coach who can't consistently beat Texas or win CFP games one of the richest in college football. 

Venables must prove he's worth the money during the Sooners' 2026 season, which kicks off against the UTEP Miners on Sept. 4 (SEC Network+, 8 p.m. ET).