Oklahoma Apparently Has Hired Former Clemson LB James Skalski

Skalski's late father was a Sooner in the '80s, and now the two-time national champ will likely help out Brent Venables with the Oklahoma linebackers.

John E. Hoover | Jan 22, 2023

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Oklahoma Sooners

Former Clemson linebacker James Skalski apparently has been added to the Oklahoma football coaching staff.

Skalski, who played six seasons for the Tigers under Dabo Swinney and then-defensive coordinator Brent Venables, posted on Instagram Sunday several photos of himself wearing OU coaching gear.

He also posted a photo of his late father, John, wearing his No. 96 Oklahoma jersey. John Skalski was a Sooner freshman in 1983.

Skalski’s duties at OU haven’t been publicized yet, but it’s likely he’ll help Venables in some capacity with the linebackers, probably as a defensive analyst or graduate assistant. Skalski's last stop was as an undrafted free agent with the Indianapolis Colts, where he was released on Aug. 31.

Skalski, who turns 25 next month, went to Clemson out of Northgate High School in Newnan, GA. He graduated from Clemson with a degree in communication in December 2019, then added a master’s degree in athletic leadership in December 2021.

At Clemson, he was a part of two national championships and five straight playoff appearances, and was a four-time ACC Honor Roll selection. According to Clemson, he's the only player ever to play in (and win) five ACC Championship Games.

His college career ran from 2016-2021 and he was a two-time team captain who finished with 310 career tackles (20.5 for loss, including 10 quarterback sacks). He played 1,920 snaps in 69 games, according to his Clemson bio.

Published Jan 22, 2023

JOHN E. HOOVER

John is an award-winning journalist whose work spans five decades in Oklahoma, with multiple state, regional and national awards as a sportswriter at various newspapers. During his newspaper career, John covered the Dallas Cowboys, the Kansas City Chiefs, the Oklahoma Sooners, the Oklahoma State Cowboys, the Arkansas Razorbacks and much more. In 2016, John changed careers, migrating into radio and launching a YouTube channel, and has built a successful independent media company, DanCam Media. From there, John has written under the banners of Sporting News, Sports Illustrated, Fan Nation and a handful of local and national magazines while hosting daily sports talk radio shows in Oklahoma City, Tulsa and statewide. John has also spoken on Capitol Hill in Oklahoma City in a successful effort to put more certified athletic trainers in Oklahoma public high schools. Among the dozens of awards he has won, John most cherishes his national "Beat Writer of the Year" from the Associated Press Sports Editors, Oklahoma's "Best Sports Column" from the Society of Professional Journalists, and Two "Excellence in Sports Medicine Reporting" Awards from the National Athletic Trainers Association. John holds a bachelor's degree in Mass Communications from East Central University in Ada, OK. Born and raised in North Pole, Alaska, John played football and wrote for the school paper at Ada High School in Ada, OK. He enjoys books, movies and travel, and lives in Broken Arrow, OK, with his wife and two kids.