Oklahoma OL Coach Bill Bedenbaugh Goes Back to Old-School Coaching

NORMAN — In the baking August heat earlier this week, Oklahoma offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh barked out at his players.

Bedenbaugh yelled out encouragement when his players executed what he wanted during drills.

When they didn’t, though, Bedenbaugh didn’t hold back at all, weaving a tapestry of expletives.

College athletics has changed dramatically since Bedenbaugh started off his coaching career at Panhandle State in 1995.

Much of that change has come in the last few years beginning with the opening Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) deals for athletes, then the transfer portal, and now direct payment to players.

Entering his 14th season with the Sooners, Bedenbaugh has coached under Bob Stoops, Lincoln Riley and now Brent Venables.

He’s an old-school coach with an old-school mindset but that mindset changed when NIL came about.

“I’ve been doing this 32 years. Some things that we’re doing, I don’t personally like but it’s what it is,” Bedenbaugh said. “You have to adapt and change or you’re going to die.”

So Bedenbaugh changed when the wave of changes began.

“I’ll be honest with you, when the transfer portal first started happening, I changed my coaching style a little bit,” Bedenbaugh said, “knowing that, ‘Hey, if this guy gets yelled at, he gets mad, he can up and leave.’ That doesn’t help anybody.”

But Bedenbaugh has settled into the new reality of the sport, Bedenbaugh realized he had to be true to himself.

It worked as he rose through the coaching ranks and it worked at Oklahoma, as he developed a reputation as one of the top developers of talent at the position.

Players like Creed Humphrey, Orlando Brown, Ben Powers and others were molded from raw talent into NFL-caliber standouts during their time with Bedenbaugh in Norman.

“Last year, I just said, ‘Whatever, I’m going to be me, and whatever happens, happens.’” Bedenbaugh said. “I can’t be something I’m not.”

Though Bedenbaugh might’ve reverted on the way he interacts with his players, that doesn’t mean he’s not still learning and changing.

“I’ve always evolved,” Bedenbaugh said. “If you saw me 15 years ago, nobody would want to play for me these days. Going back, you’ve got to be yourself.”

Bedenbaugh’s players have responded.

“I love that man,” Arkansas transfer E’Marion Harris said. “I’d die for him. He’s just a great coach, pushes you every day, and you just want to go hard for him.”

The offensive line that Bedenbaugh has built — adding Harris to a group of returners that includes expected starter Michael Fasusi, Ryan Fodje, Jake Maikkula, Eddy Pierre-Louis, plus Heath Ozaeta — is a big reason why there is optimism that the Sooners will be better offensively this season.

“We’re better than when we ended spring, and that’s the thing,” Bedenbaugh said just before preseason camp kicked off. “We’ve just got to continue to improve, you know?”

Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook and X for the latest news.

Add us as a preferred source on Google