Oklahoma signs Brent Venables to six-year deal as Sooners eye return to CFP in 2026 season
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- Brent Venables received a six-year contract extension from Oklahoma paying $10 million in the first year with $200,000 annual increases, with new athletic director Roger Denny calling Venables 'the best ambassador for Oklahoma Football.'
- Venables holds a 32-20 record at Oklahoma and has alternated six- and 10-win seasons across his four years, including a 6-7 campaign in 2024 followed by a 10-win regular season in 2025.
- Oklahoma's 2025 playoff run ended with a first-round home loss to Alabama after the Sooners blew a 17-0 lead, leaving Venables without a postseason win in four seasons.
- John Mateer and offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle, both imported from Washington State, powered the 2025 turnaround, and Mateer now returns alongside 14 starters (tied for second-most in the FBS) and star receiver Isaiah Sategna.
- Oklahoma's 2026 schedule opens with road games at No. 16 Michigan (Sept. 16) and No. 3 Georgia (Sept. 26) before hosting No. 5 Texas on Oct. 10 — five AP Top 25 opponents total.
- Venables identified the run game as a top offseason fix after Oklahoma ranked 112th nationally at 118.5 yards per game despite the Jadyn Ott transfer addition.
Why it matters: Venables gets paid like an elite coach but has yet to win a postseason game across four seasons, including a blown 17-0 lead to Alabama in last year's CFP opener. With five AP Top 25 opponents in the first month, a slow start could force Oklahoma into run-the-table territory just to defend its playoff berth.
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