Report: Oklahoma DL Coach Calvin Thibodeaux Heading to SMU

Thibodeaux has served as the Sooners' defensive line coach since 2016.

It was widely speculated, and now it looks to be official.

As new Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables continues to piece together his first coaching staff in Norman, the defensive side of the ball continues to undergo an overhaul.

Add defensive line Calvin Thibodeaux to that list, as he is reportedly heading to the coaching staff at SMU according to Yahoo Sports’ Pete Thamel.

Source: Calvin Thibodeaux will be the new defensive line coach at SMU. He's been at Oklahoma since 2016.

— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) December 9, 2021

Thibodeaux, a former Oklahoma player from 2002-2006, has been with the Sooners since 2016 helping build the defensive line into one of the more consistent position groups in 2021.

But, with Venables bringing in many new coaches on the defensive side of the ball, Thibodeaux was seemingly someone who didn’t fit into the future plans.

This now also fills in the blank on the recent flip of 5-star defensive lineman Gabriel Brownlow-Dindy to Texas A&M, who had been viewed as someone who would potentially stay committed to the Sooners if Thibodeaux was still in Norman.

Now, the former Sooner joins the staff with the Mustangs who begin a new era of their own under new head coach Rhett Lashlee.