Brent Venables Excited About the Wisdom Ted Roof Brings to Oklahoma

Venables said he and the new OU defensive coordinator are completely aligned in how to run the Sooner defense.

If Brent Venables has his way, the Oklahoma defense is finally going to be at the forefront once again.

Long known as one of the best defensive coordinators in college football, Venables promised to bring his “aggressive” and “punishing” brand of defense back to Norman upon his hiring. But when the announced staff hires started to roll in, many were puzzled when career journeyman Ted Roof was named as the OU defensive coordinator.

Roof brings a wealth of knowledge across 14 different programs to the table, but he only spent one year on the same staff as Venables.

When both Venables and Roof spoke to the local media after National Signing Day earlier this month, however, it became clear why the two quickly formed a bond at Clemson.

Ted Roof :: Ken Ruinard / The Greenville News-USA TODAY NETWORK

“(Roof) did a lot of advanced scouting for us last year, Clemson,” Venables said during a Zoom press conference on Feb. 3. “And we just, from an ideological standpoint, have a lot of similar philosophies.

“He's a low ego guy. He's a grinder, a tough guy. And really, again, I wanted a veteran presence from the defensive coordinator position and somebody also that's been around long enough too that is going to be able to welcome a team effort.”

When Roof got the call to come to Norman, he said he jumped at the opportunity to follow Venables to Oklahoma.

“When this opportunity was presented to me, I couldn't say yes fast enough,” Roof said in a Zoom press conference on National Signing Day. “So excited, humbled, appreciative to be here under the leadership of Coach Venables and the tremendous history, tradition that the University of Oklahoma is known for throughout the country.

“I’ve known Brent for about 10 years and certainly respected and admired him but we've kind of been on different teams for most of those 10 years but were together last year at Clemson and he's a guy, again, that's a very strong leader, has a great track record, but I wanted to be with great people. And I am with him.”

With all the experience Roof has had over his career, he is equipped to run Venables’ defense for the Sooners, and the two coaches are on the same page as to what it takes to play defense at a high level in today’s college football.

“We want to attack,” Venables said. “And so you can attack without blitzing. You can attack just by being very aggressive with your alignments and your structure in some of your presentations. And again, we want to be able to force the issue with people.

“We don't want to be a quote unquote bend but don't break, but you got to be smart too. These offenses with the way they operate anymore, there's a different level of precision.”

For Roof, that aggression starts up front, because if you can put pressure on the opposing quarterback with the defensive line, then other avenues to confuse the quarterback will open up on the back end with the ability to mix coverages and send extra bodies on a blitz.

“Be multiple… extremely multiple,” said Roof, “where you can get into some three-down structure, some four-down structure, some five-down structure to continue on the attack, some simulated blitzes, things of that nature.

“You want to change the picture for the quarterback. Obviously you’ve got to have the ability to stop the run. But the multiplicity, being able to change the picture for the quarterback and attack at the same time.”

Venables will task Roof with teaching his defense to the players, but he’ll also lean on the experienced defensive coordinator to help the coaches along the defensive staff.

Defensive line coach Todd Bates is established and his track record speaks for itself, but there are other younger position coaches on staff who are still working their way up the ranks.

Defensive backs coach Jay Valai has experience at the highest level, coaching at both Texas and Alabama previously, but his entrance into the coaching ranks really began in 2016 as a quality control coach at Georgia.

Defensive ends coach Miguel Chavis has already racked up some big wins on the recruiting trail, but he’s entering his first season as a fully-fledged on-field position coach in 2022.

“I’ve got to empower my coaches and trust them,” Venables said. “And I certainly do put together a terrific staff, again, led by Ted.

“But we got a lot of young guys too coming from some different backgrounds that also have some same philosophies that I think that Ted will be the first one to pull from them as well. So it's going to be a great relationship.”

The excitement around the program is palpable as the Sooners turn the page to the Venables era, and the new head coach is confident his defensive staff will be able to change the defensive culture in Norman.

“It's going to be a great, great marriage,” Venables said. 

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