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Oklahoma President, AD Express Confidence in Brent Venables

Sooners' leadership at the top spoke to media Tuesday after a regularly scheduled meeting of the OU Board of Regents.

John E. Hoover

University of Oklahoma president Joseph Harroz Jr. (left) and athletic director Joe Castiglione.
University of Oklahoma president Joseph Harroz Jr. (left) and athletic director Joe Castiglione. / Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
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Oklahoma coach Brent Venables is having one of the most difficult seasons of his career.

But Venables’ very bad year won’t be made worse by being fired.

That was the sentiment Tuesday of both the OU president and the OU athletic director. Venables, they said, has their support.

“It's unwavering,” said president Joe Harroz. “We know it's been a tough season. I've been around Oklahoma football for a long time. We have the right coach. This is our coach.”

“We truly believe in Coach Venables and our team,” said AD Joe Castiglione.

Both Harroz and Castiglione met with reporters after Tuesday’s regularly scheduled meeting of the OU Board of Regents in Norman.

Eric Bailey of the Tulsa World asked Castiglione what his confidence level was in Venables as the Sooners wind up Venables’ third season with a 5-5 record and staring at the distinct possibility of a losing record and no bowl game. OU is idle this Saturday but returns to SEC play the next two weeks as big underdogs against No. 9 Alabama and No. 21 LSU.

“Obviously, the season thus far has not gone as we hoped or planned,” Castiglione said. “You know, that's disappointing to a lot of people, including us, even considering the significant challenges that we've had, such as an unusually high number of injuries, but it's more disappointing for the players and the coaches who have invested so much in the season so far. We're mindful that we haven't met the Oklahoma Standard for 2024.

“That said, we truly believe in Coach Venables and our team. We are completely focused on both supporting them and looking at all the ways to address the needed improvements now as soon as possible, as well as in preparation for next year, and working with Coach Venables to help in all of that process. 

“At the same time, we want to make sure we're accentuating the strengths that we are seeing developed in our program, that are growing and performing at a rate that we also need to be successful in the SEC and beyond. So it's a holistic approach to making sure that we're focusing on all the important initiatives to support coach Venables and our team.”

Bailey asked Castiglione if Venables will be back in 2025.

“As I just said, we’re focusing on all the areas of improvement that are necessary now and for next year.”

Sooner Scoop’s George Stoia asked Harroz about his confidence in Venables moving forward.

“It's unwavering,” Harroz said. “We know it's been a tough season. I've been around Oklahoma football for a long time. We have the right coach. This is our coach.

“We knew it was going to be a tough year going to the SEC, the first year. You add that with all the things that are taking place around the shifting NIL landscape, with hopefully more certainty coming next year if the preliminary approval becomes final in the (House v. NCAA) lawsuit. We knew there was going to be some turbulence. 

“Obviously, we'd love to have have had more wins, but our confidence in the coach, it's as steady as it's ever been.”

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John E. Hoover
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.

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