Brent Venables takes shot at Deion Sanders over Colorado rebuild

Oklahoma's head coach says he's unlike Coach Prime on team managment

Brent Venables is entering hostile territory. The second-year Oklahoma head coach had a miserable run last year in Norman and felt emboldened to "shake some trees" before the Sooners exit for the SEC.

The former Clemson defensive coordinator made the rounds at Big 12 Media Day this week and took aim at Deion Sanders while on the air with KREF radio. Venables thought Coach Prime was wrong for his handling of the roster turnover and even compared it to his own situation.

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“You know, I gave guys twelve months of grace," Venables said. "I was unlike Deion (Sanders). I gave guys 12 months of grace to figure it out.

"Here’s the three, you know, go to class, you know, live right off the field, and when you show up, man. You show up with respect and appreciation for your opportunity."

Sanders took over a one-win Buffaloes teams after Karl Dorrell's exit and didn't look back. A rebuild with 70 new players coming into Boulder to be part of the process. Nothing out of the normal, but a majority coming via the transfer portal and a surge from Florida-based schools.

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Venables went off on several tangents while talking to the media. His attack on Sanders' style came out of frustration due to watching some of Oklahoma's targets go to Colorado. If this off-season has taught us anything, it's that certain coaches find Prime to be an easy target. It also means he's doing something right by changing the culture around him. Otherwise, people wouldn't care enough to say anything about what's going on at CU.

On the other hand, if Venables isn't careful, a couple of losses could land him on the hot seat.