BREAKING: Oklahoma Sooners appoints new coach
The Oklahoma Sooners have agreed to a six-year contract with head coach Brent Venables, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel. Multiple reports indicate that the deal will be valued somewhat more than $46 million.
Sources: Oklahoma has agreed to a new six-year contract for coach Brent Venables. The new six-year deal includes a significant raise for Venables, and there’s been an uptick in overall program commitment as OU heads to the SEC. pic.twitter.com/Poq859eg40
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) June 21, 2024
The contract keeps Venables, who was hired by the Sooners in 2021 to succeed Lincoln Riley, at Oklahoma until 2029. The 53-year-old coach will also remain at the helm to guide Oklahoma’s move to the SEC.
Under the new contract, Venables will receive $7.225 million next season, with his salary increasing each season until it reaches $7.925 million in the final year. He inked a six-year, $43.5 million contract with the Sooners two seasons ago.
According to ESPN, the purchase has gotten board approval, which is the final step toward making it official.
Venables was hired in December 2021, after Riley left for USC, and has a 16-10 record in two seasons with the Sooners. The first-time head coach guided Oklahoma to a 10-2 regular season record in 2023, including key wins over No. 3 Texas, before losing to Arizona in the Alamo Bowl. Oklahoma was 7-3 in conference and finished third in the Big 12; they concluded the season ranked 15th nationally.
Venables previously served as co-defensive coordinator and then associate head coach at Oklahoma from 1999 to 2011, after which he spent ten seasons as an assistant at Clemson.
Other new contracts for Oklahoma coaches
Sooners women’s basketball coach Jennie Baranczyk was given an extension and a raise after leading the Sooners to two straight regular-season conference championships.
Baranczyk’s contract was extended until the 2029-2030 season, and her supplementary and outside income increased from $300,000 to $625,000.
OU men’s basketball coach Porter Moser was handed a $100,000 boost in supplemental and outside compensation, which was surprising given that he had failed to make the NCAA Tournament in his first three seasons. Castiglione attributed the rise to an expression of gratitude for Moser and his staff’s efforts.
“It was definitely important to show coach Moser that we appreciate him and what he’s providing in leadership,” Castiglione told me. “Of course, we were disappointed not getting into the NCAA tournament, but it took many anomalies that have not been seen in the days leading up to the NCAA tournament to keep us out.”
K.J. Kindler’s contract as Sooners women’s gymnastics coach has been extended until the 2031 season, and she will earn $1 million per year, including retirement payments.
Other football assistant contracts:
Miguel Chavis, the defensive ends coach, had his contract extended through the 2026 season, and his outside income was upped from $365,000 to $405,000.
DeMarco Murray, the running backs coach, has had his contract extended through the 2026 season, and his outside compensation has grown from $290,000 to $515,000. And beginning in 2025, that total will be $565,000, rising to $590,000 in 2026. Murray reportedly received an opportunity to leave Norman for the same post at Ohio State.
