Former Clemson coordinator signs massive contract extension with Oklahoma

In 2021, there was shocking news that longtime Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables was leaving to take his first head coaching job with the Oklahoma Sooners.

What made it so surprising was that he had turned down opportunities in the past and seemed to be someone who was content to be a highly compensated coordinator for an elite program like Clemson.

After all, he’s been in the DC role with the Tigers since 2012 when he left Oklahoma.

Venables was the nation’s top assistant coach in 2016, winning the Broyles Award. He was then the second-highest paid coordinator in college football a year later, earning about $1.6 million.

But when the opportunity presented itself for the longtime assistant to take his first head job with a top-ranked program like Oklahoma, he couldn’t say no.

Things haven’t gone exactly as planned since the Sooners took over.

His first season in charge saw them go 6-7 and a shocking 3-6 in the Big 12 before rebounding to win 10 games last year in their final conference season before jumping to the SEC.

Before Oklahoma’s first campaign in this new league, they decided to show their faith in Venables and offer him a contract extension.

According to ESPN’s Pete Thamel, they have agreed to a new six-year contract.

That deal will keep him with the Sooners through 2029 and increase his compensation to $51.6 million and roughly $8.5 million per year. In 2021, his original deal was for six years and $43.5 million.

What prompted him to do something in the middle of his first contract is unknown.

After his first season, it was thought he might not be the guy for the job, as it was the first time since 1998 that the program had a losing record.

But the return in 2023 has clearly alleviated any worries the athletic department and boosters may have had, and Venables’ ability to recruit at a high level will always be a key selling point throughout his tenure his because he had a Top 10 class in 2024 and is trending that way in 2025.

While it’s disappointing Venables is no longer with Clemson, it’s good to see him accomplish things on his own, as he was an integral part of the Tigers winning national championships in 2016 and 2018.