UPDATE: 7:14p - Guys, just heard from @Eddie_Rado that he is hearing VERY different things from SC sources on the topic of Bill Bedenbaugh. I won't go into all the particulars but credit to Eddie as he checked around a bit based on what I'd written and came across some different stuff.
I'd say nothing is FINALIZED but there's a lot more hope that he stays in Norman than I'd been led to believe from the Southern Cal side.
ORIGINAL: OK guys, have had several conversations the last few hours and wanted to summarize some of what I've come across.
First, the incoming...the talk of Brent Venables. I know we've got some young members who may not remember the finer points of his departure but he left after the return of Mike Stoops and the two potentially becoming co-defensive coordinators, though some felt it had more to do with the removal of Willie Martinez and perhaps seeing the business side of it a bit more than he had previously working for his, then, close friend Bob Stoops.
So I wondered, is there any ill will in a potential hiring that clearly Stoops figures to have some role in which his newly reminted status.
"Not at all, he still talks about those guys where you can tell he just loves them," a Clemson source said.
Interestingly? there was also a story about after he had initially taken the job with Clemson, he met with Bob who begged him to stay, offered him a pay raise and Venables went home thinking he had changed his mind and would stay in Norman. After talking it over with his family they elected to stick with the Tigers but it wasn't a deal where he stormed out of Norman angry.
The final interesting thing was that upon him heading to the airport to leave he just happened to cross paths with Joe Castiglione's wife and wondered if it was a sign he'd made the wrong choice, oddly enough.
Bottom line all the power players at Oklahoma he has good ties with save, obviously, president Joe Harrosz.
In short I got the feeling that on the surface Venables would be very open to this idea.
And no, he still hasn't landed in Norman.
**As for the guys headed elsewhere, I've got some more information on that topic.
It sounds like USC is expecting Bill Bedenbaugh to join the his former staff mates in Los Angeles. I wouldn't say I've confirmed it but it's from someone I trust.
Not surprisingly it also sounds like Roy Manning will be sticking with Alex Grinch.
The one that remains up in the air as far as USC, based on what I'm hearing at this point, is linebackers coach Brian Odom. I'm told that he absolutely has been invited to come along but that it's a coin toss in USC's eyes if he actually makes that jump. As I said earlier it's a tough call as he and Grinch are close but at the same time he's an Oklahoma guy who grew up loving the university. I'm expecting him to have made a decision by Friday.
I'd say nothing is FINALIZED but there's a lot more hope that he stays in Norman than I'd been led to believe from the Southern Cal side.
ORIGINAL: OK guys, have had several conversations the last few hours and wanted to summarize some of what I've come across.
First, the incoming...the talk of Brent Venables. I know we've got some young members who may not remember the finer points of his departure but he left after the return of Mike Stoops and the two potentially becoming co-defensive coordinators, though some felt it had more to do with the removal of Willie Martinez and perhaps seeing the business side of it a bit more than he had previously working for his, then, close friend Bob Stoops.
So I wondered, is there any ill will in a potential hiring that clearly Stoops figures to have some role in which his newly reminted status.
"Not at all, he still talks about those guys where you can tell he just loves them," a Clemson source said.
Interestingly? there was also a story about after he had initially taken the job with Clemson, he met with Bob who begged him to stay, offered him a pay raise and Venables went home thinking he had changed his mind and would stay in Norman. After talking it over with his family they elected to stick with the Tigers but it wasn't a deal where he stormed out of Norman angry.
The final interesting thing was that upon him heading to the airport to leave he just happened to cross paths with Joe Castiglione's wife and wondered if it was a sign he'd made the wrong choice, oddly enough.
Bottom line all the power players at Oklahoma he has good ties with save, obviously, president Joe Harrosz.
In short I got the feeling that on the surface Venables would be very open to this idea.
And no, he still hasn't landed in Norman.
**As for the guys headed elsewhere, I've got some more information on that topic.
It sounds like USC is expecting Bill Bedenbaugh to join the his former staff mates in Los Angeles. I wouldn't say I've confirmed it but it's from someone I trust.
Not surprisingly it also sounds like Roy Manning will be sticking with Alex Grinch.
The one that remains up in the air as far as USC, based on what I'm hearing at this point, is linebackers coach Brian Odom. I'm told that he absolutely has been invited to come along but that it's a coin toss in USC's eyes if he actually makes that jump. As I said earlier it's a tough call as he and Grinch are close but at the same time he's an Oklahoma guy who grew up loving the university. I'm expecting him to have made a decision by Friday.
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