Oklahoma Officially Announces Todd Bates as Associate HC/Co-Defensive Coordinator

Bates has spent the previous five seasons on Clemson's defensive staff working alongside Brent Venables.

It was reported, and now it’s official.

A splash coaching hire has been formally announced by Oklahoma on Tuesday as the Sooners introduced Todd Bates as the new associate head coach/co-defensive coordinator on Brent Venables' first staff in Norman.

OFFICIAL: Welcome @CoachToddBates to Norman!

➡️ https://t.co/mGELOlkohT | #BoomerSooner pic.twitter.com/LNhBt8kjST

— Oklahoma Football (@OU_Football) January 4, 2022

Bates will also serve as the run defense specialist coaching up the defensive tackles after building Clemson’s defensive line into one of the most consistent units in the country in his five years there under Venables.

Dating back to his time at Jacksonville State, every primary starter under Bates has earned at least one all-conference honor under his coaching.

His coaching pedigree is obvious with a recruiting prowess to match having been named Rivals’ 2019 Recruiter of the Year and frequently helping rake in top-10 classes.

In fact, each of Clemson’s previous four classes have been ranked inside the top-10 nationally - with Bates playing a heavy role in that.

He also helped produce three first-round defensive lineman with the Tigers in Clelin Ferrell, Dexter Lawrence and Christian Wilkins.

Todd Bates / Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

“Todd brings tremendous passion and is a very relational coach,” Venables said in a release. “He's got a lot of gifts, but right at the top is his ability to communicate. He's just a great leader of men; really brings out the best in people. He's a technician as a coach and very tactical. He's very demanding of his players and they play incredibly hard for him because he's also very demanding of himself.

"He's been a grinder in this profession and has earned everything that he's gotten. You give him the slightest opportunity and he'll make the most of it; he just maximizes everything in front of him. He's an amazing husband and father, is a tremendous teammate and leader, and has wisdom beyond his years.

"And when it comes to recruiting, Todd is tenacious and is a bulldog. No challenge is too big for him, he turns over every stone and he quickly earns the trust of recruits and their families. We’re so excited he’s joining the OU family.”

Bates, who began his coaching career at the high school level in his home state of Alabama in 2007, now gets to take another step forward in his coaching career alongside his close friend in Venables.

“First, I want to thank Coach (Dabo) Swinney for the great opportunity he gave me at Clemson,” Bates said in the release. “I moved out there five years ago and he introduced me to Coach Venables. Since then, Coach V and I have worked hand in hand. He’s more than a co-worker to me; I consider him a brother. And when he got the job at OU, immediately I was interested in possibly joining him because I’ve learned so much from him, chiefly to ‘take pride in what you do and one day you’ll be proud of what you’ve done.’ I just look forward to rolling my sleeves up and going straight to work and building relationships. That’s what this profession is all about. It’s about the relationships you build with players and the lives you touch. I look forward to continuing that here with Coach V.

“I’ve learned so many other lessons from him, and not just in football. Just putting your all into everything you do and maximizing everything; try to get a dollar out of a dime. I heard him say one time that his biggest fear is that one of his players isn’t ready. We’re as hungry for their success as they are. When kids choose to come to your school, their parents are trusting you to max them out, to squeeze every ounce of ability out of them. That’s what Brent did at Clemson, what he did at OU previously, and what he’ll continue to do as head coach. He makes everyone around him better. I’m just looking forward to helping him build this thing and impacting the lives of young men who are already at OU and the future Sooners who are on the way.”