Every time I think this team has finally bottommed out, the staff and players seem to find new and creative ways to solidify their place in history as the absolute worst that Oklahoma has fielded in the modern era. Given the Gibbs, Blake and Schnelly years, it’s hard to even fathom 2022 OU reaching those depths of futility. Nonetheless, the level of incompetence, sloppiness and apathy displayed today makes a strong case for being at the very bottom of any list.
As of today, the Oklahoma program looks far more like one in the early stages of a severe and protracted decline than it does one that’s in the midst of a successful rebuild. The latter would be characterized by a poor start followed by modest, but steady, improvement over time. That’s not evident at all in the Sooner’s body of work under Venables. This team is the worst in the conference AND they’re actually regressing from one week to the next.
While Brent Venables clearly deserves ALL of the criticism he’s getting for failing to deliver a semi-respectable team that plays hard and/or smart, the nature of his contract means that he will ABSOLUTELY continue as OU’s HC for at least the next couple seasons. Frankly, it would only do further (perhaps irreparable) damage to the program to make a change even if it were possible. It would tank a recruiting class that may be the only near term salvation.
So, what can Joe C and the more influential boosters do?
For starters, they can/should force BV to fire Ted Roof and bring in a proven DC/LB coach that Brent likes/respects. Whomever that is, they should have complete control over the scheme, play calling and staffing decisions on that side of the ball. The defense has been utterly woeful and shown no signs of getting better. They need a fully-dedicated coordinator and position coaches that know wtf they are doing.
Additionally, they can require that Brent jettison the interim WR coach and bring in a AHC/WR/Recruiting Coordinator. I’ve seen names like Jeff Scott or R Samples floated. It doesn’t really matter as long whomever it is is just a MONSTER recruiter.
Finally, OU needs to hire a couple of guys with background in scouting and have them fully dedicated to looking at every single entry into the portal. These dudes sole focus should be separating the wheat from the chaff and passing that on to the staff member responsible for that position. The Sooners simply cannot afford another year of transfers that add little to no value. BV and the staff have plenty to do with trying to fix the mess they made of things this year. It needs to be made as easy as possible for them to try and go get guys that can contribute in a meaningful way.
The overall rationale is simple. OU is staring down the barrel of another losing season in 2023. The Sooners can’t afford to watch Brent flail as he tries to be HC, DC and recruiting coordinator. It won’t work and it never should have been allowed in the first place. If they have to spend $2MM/yr on a DC, then do it. Hire a f’ing mercenary DC who can install his defense and show progress in 2023. That’s exactly what Dabo did when he brought Brent to Clemson. With Cale gone, the Sooners also need at least a couple guys that can recruit well DESPITE two lackluster seasons. Things will NEVER improve if the talent coming in isn’t at least Top 10. Finally, having a real DC along with Scott/Samples (or whomever) will give BV a stronger core to lean on.
simply put, the big boys need to step in and TELL Brent what his staff will look like. The move to the SEC is imminent. For better or worse, BV is who OU has for the near future. So, you surround him with a f’ing ace staff and develop him into the HC you thought you were hiring.
As of today, the Oklahoma program looks far more like one in the early stages of a severe and protracted decline than it does one that’s in the midst of a successful rebuild. The latter would be characterized by a poor start followed by modest, but steady, improvement over time. That’s not evident at all in the Sooner’s body of work under Venables. This team is the worst in the conference AND they’re actually regressing from one week to the next.
While Brent Venables clearly deserves ALL of the criticism he’s getting for failing to deliver a semi-respectable team that plays hard and/or smart, the nature of his contract means that he will ABSOLUTELY continue as OU’s HC for at least the next couple seasons. Frankly, it would only do further (perhaps irreparable) damage to the program to make a change even if it were possible. It would tank a recruiting class that may be the only near term salvation.
So, what can Joe C and the more influential boosters do?
For starters, they can/should force BV to fire Ted Roof and bring in a proven DC/LB coach that Brent likes/respects. Whomever that is, they should have complete control over the scheme, play calling and staffing decisions on that side of the ball. The defense has been utterly woeful and shown no signs of getting better. They need a fully-dedicated coordinator and position coaches that know wtf they are doing.
Additionally, they can require that Brent jettison the interim WR coach and bring in a AHC/WR/Recruiting Coordinator. I’ve seen names like Jeff Scott or R Samples floated. It doesn’t really matter as long whomever it is is just a MONSTER recruiter.
Finally, OU needs to hire a couple of guys with background in scouting and have them fully dedicated to looking at every single entry into the portal. These dudes sole focus should be separating the wheat from the chaff and passing that on to the staff member responsible for that position. The Sooners simply cannot afford another year of transfers that add little to no value. BV and the staff have plenty to do with trying to fix the mess they made of things this year. It needs to be made as easy as possible for them to try and go get guys that can contribute in a meaningful way.
The overall rationale is simple. OU is staring down the barrel of another losing season in 2023. The Sooners can’t afford to watch Brent flail as he tries to be HC, DC and recruiting coordinator. It won’t work and it never should have been allowed in the first place. If they have to spend $2MM/yr on a DC, then do it. Hire a f’ing mercenary DC who can install his defense and show progress in 2023. That’s exactly what Dabo did when he brought Brent to Clemson. With Cale gone, the Sooners also need at least a couple guys that can recruit well DESPITE two lackluster seasons. Things will NEVER improve if the talent coming in isn’t at least Top 10. Finally, having a real DC along with Scott/Samples (or whomever) will give BV a stronger core to lean on.
simply put, the big boys need to step in and TELL Brent what his staff will look like. The move to the SEC is imminent. For better or worse, BV is who OU has for the near future. So, you surround him with a f’ing ace staff and develop him into the HC you thought you were hiring.
![[zoomLENS]](https://rivals-cdn.s3.amazonaws.com/forums/oklahoma/data/avatars/m/6/6732.jpg?1633963129){kind=avatar}
