Sooner Football Head Coach Brent Venables Still Has Something To Prove

Sporting News’ Bill Bender released his list of the top 25 college football coaches, and Brent Venables landed at No. 23.

Here’s exactly what Bender had to say: "Venables was on the hot seat heading into last season, and he responded by leading the Sooners back to the College Football Playoff. Hiring offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle was a good move – and the defense ranked seventh in the FBS at 15.5 points per game. Oklahoma was 5-2 against ranked opponents through a brutal schedule in the SEC. Venables also has an extension that runs through 2029."

I think 23rd is a pretty fair ranking right now.

Venables is clearly doing better than a lot of coaches in the country, but he’s not quite in that upper-echelon conversation yet with the absolute best guys.

In his first four seasons at Oklahoma, the results have been up and down. You’ve either seen a 6-7 type season or a 10-3 type season.

There hasn’t been that consistent winning week in and week out that we’ve come to expect from Oklahoma over the decades. That’s the main thing keeping him out of the top 15-20 right now.

That being said, last season was massive for him and the program. Going into 2025, Venables was absolutely on the hot seat. A lot of fans were getting restless.

He responded by getting the Sooners back to the College Football Playoff in one of the toughest schedules any team has faced in recent memory. Making the playoff while going 5-2 against ranked teams is no small feat, especially in the SEC. That alone should’ve taken him off the hot seat, and it looks like it has.

The hire of Ben Arbuckle at offensive coordinator has been a positive step. The offense showed real signs of life at times, especially early in the year when John Mateer was healthy.

And of course, the defense continues to be Venables’ calling card. Finishing 7th nationally in scoring defense at 15.5 points per game is exactly what you expect when he’s running that side of the ball.

The extension through 2029 also shows the administration has bought in and is willing to give him time to build this thing the right way. That matters.

Still, there are some areas where Venables needs to improve his résumé. His record against rivals isn’t great yet: 1-1 against Oklahoma State, 1-3 against Texas, 1-1 against Missouri, and 1-0 against Nebraska.

Beating your rivals consistently is a big part of being a top-tier coach at a place like Oklahoma. Those games carry extra weight.

The good news is the program feels like it’s trending upward. Year 4 was the first real breakthrough.

With 14 starters returning, including John Mateer and a loaded group of skill players, plus what should be another elite defense, 2026 feels like it could be the year Venables takes that next step.

If he can deliver a 10-win season or better and make another playoff run, his stock is going to skyrocket.

23rd feels about right for where he stands today. He’s proven he can get OU back to the playoff and build a really good defense in the SEC. Now the challenge is consistency, beating the big boys on the schedule more often, and stacking successful seasons with deep playoff runs.

Venables has the pieces in place and the trust of the administration. The foundation is solid. If the results keep improving, he’ll climb these coach rankings quickly.

For now, No. 23 is fair, but I expect him to be higher on this list a year from now.