Oklahoma's Dasan McCullough Says Brent Venables is the 'Best Coach Ever'

Dasan McCullough was finally able to showcase his skillset in front of a rowdy spring game crowd in Norman.

Ross Lovelace | Apr 22, 2023

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Oklahoma Sooners

NORMAN — It’s hard not to buy into the Dasan McCullough buzz after the spring session he has put together.

Coming to Oklahoma, expectations were high for the ESPN freshman All-America selection. The Indiana transfer accumulated 49 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, and 4.0 sacks in 12 games last fall.

After the Sooners experienced a season of turbulence on the defensive side of the ball, McCullough’s transfer commitment seemed like the biggest “get” of the offseason. Throughout spring media availability, he certainly looked the part at 6-foot-5, 222 pounds. Now 14 practices and the spring game in the books, the hype was warranted.

“I feel like I played really well," McCullough said. "There's some little things I definitely need to work on. I had a little tweak in my knee so that's why I stopped playing, but I'll be all good. I think the defense did great today. I think the defense had a really good day. Just some little details we got to clean up but that's normal spring ball stuff, so not too major.”

Saturday, McCullough set the tone early and built off that momentum throughout the afternoon. He wasn’t fooled in the slightest by Jeff Lebby’s reverse-pass out of the back field, as the talented cheetah linebacker stuck like glue to Drake Stoops and batted the trick pass down with ease.

“Just from like a technique standpoint, from practice number one to (practice) 15 has been a crazy improvement," McCullough said. "Just learning different checks and how Coach Venables really wants to write his defense has been the most challenging part. Really just time has gotten me better. Just time and reps is all I needed.”

The official stats tabbed McCullough with just three tackles on the afternoon, but his impact stretched far beyond that. His talent and physicality on the field was extremely noticeable — and a sight for sore eyes in Norman, where the defense has fallen off a cliff over the last five years.

Venables was tasked with turning the unit around, and as we learned last fall, it could be much longer than a one-year operation. Adding players like McCullough, however, could certainly speed up the process. This spring was all about getting the talented sophomore up to speed, and after Saturday’s exhibition, it sure looks like a mission accomplished.

“Since I've been here, Coach Venables has made it clear that he wants me to be a leader," McCullough said. "Just having him right by my side, just helping me out with all these little things, it made me the best linebacker I could be. You can't ask for any more, it's great. That's the best coach ever.”

McCullough wasn’t around to experience Oklahoma’s struggles a season ago, but he feels the pressure and urgency just the same. With talented newcomers all over the field, OU’s defense is back on the path to success.

“I feel like as a group, this defense is one of none," McCullough said. "I mean, we have guys at every position, we have depth too. I think we're gonna make a great run.”

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Published Apr 22, 2023

ROSS LOVELACE

Experience Ross is a young, up-and-coming sports reporter who has covered the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Oklahoma Sooners over the past six years. He's made guest appearances on various radio stations and has helped out with the All Sooners podcast whenever he gets the chance. Ross enjoys public speaking and has done so at multiple churches and high schools across the OKC metro area. In addition to writing, Ross has been the Play-by-Play announcer for Crossings’ basketball and football programs since 2020. In high school, Ross worked for self-starter blogs and latched onto Thunder Digest, where he discovered his passion for writing. From there, he worked for the OU Daily as a women's basketball reporter and was hired by All Sooners. Ross landed an internship with Sports Illustrated's Inside the Thunder and has since become a full-time contributor. One day, Ross hopes to work in the NBA. Work History Education Ross holds a bachelor's degree in Public Relations and a minor in Communication from the University of Oklahoma. Personal Born and raised in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Ross played basketball and wrote for his own Thunder blog at Crossings High School in OKC, OK. He enjoys reading, New York Jets football and a week at the beach. Ross is engaged to be married at the end of the year. His Twitter handle is @Rosslovelace.