So What's Next for Oklahoma Football? 'Hug Their Neck,' Brent Venables Says

After nearly five eventful months on the job, the Sooners' new coach says he's enjoyed getting to know his players on a more personal level.

TULSA — Spring football is in the past. The NFL Draft is a recent memory. And the May 1 deadline to enter the transfer portal has come and gone with minimal disruption to the Oklahoma roster.

So what’s next for first-year coach Brent Venables?

“I’ve had almost 80, I think, 80 exit interviews, give or take,” Venables said at the Sooner Caravan last week. “So I'm just about finished. We're blowing and going. So it's been a lot of fun.”

Whether it’s been hiring coaches or recruiting or hiring support staff or watching video or coaching spring practice (for the first time as a head coach) or meeting individually with every player, the fact is that Venables hasn’t slowed down once since he was hired on Dec. 6.

He’s had lots of time with the players — but not really much opportunity for one-on-one time.

“It's really cool for me,” he said. “One, it's an opportunity for me to hug their neck and let 'em know how much I appreciate them.”

Venables said it’s been enlightening to look into their eyes and hear their personal thoughts.

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This is a time where Venables can "hug their neck and let 'em know how much I appreciate them.”

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By last week, Venables had about 80 exit interviews with players. "We're blowing and going. So it's been a lot of fun.”

BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN-USA TODAY NETWORK

Venables said players tell him how much they appreciate "the environment, the culture that we've established and are continuing to reinforce every day.”

"So many of them are proud of the improvement that they've made in the different areas,” Venables said. “Maybe it's academically, maybe it's emotionally, just maturing. It's a fun time for me to be able to sit back and reflect on the 4 1/2 months, maybe (from) some of our first conversations to where we're at now — and again, just the maturation that's taken place and to get their thoughts and get a ton of feedback. It's really cool for me.

Venables’ instilling a new culture in the OU football program has received rave reviews from the players.

“Almost to a man, when I say, ‘Tell me about the last 4 1/2 months,’ just, their appreciation for the environment, the culture that we've established and are continuing to reinforce every day.”

The demonstrative Venables never stops with the gestures. To illustrate how players have come together as a group, he interlocks his fingers.

“I’ve seen them do this a lot,” he gestured, “like family and relationships and talking about things that are really hard and difficult and challenging but fun. They're enjoying that process — to a man. They have an appreciation for being held accountable and being made to do some things that maybe, in their journeys, they haven't been asked to do. So it's been a ton of fun for me, and just educational for me and certainly an opportunity for me to try to create a vision for what the next several weeks is going to look like post spring and pre-finals.”

Venables described the upcoming journeys and challenges ahead for some of his players.

“We have a variety of guys going to do micro-internships around the country,” he said. “They're doing a service trip in May as well and will learn the value of servant leadership. So, super cool for me, as well, to hear their excitement for that and knowing that, as a dad, what type of impact that's going to have on these guys, and opening doors and just paving the way for the rest of their life beyond the game of football.

Strength and fitness maintenance routines will continue. So will individual learning opportunities with the new offensive and defensive playbooks. Of course, classwork remains a high priority.

But for the most part, it’s a time to throttle back for the players — and, believe it or not, the coaches. A little.

“It's a really exciting time, as much as anything,” Venables said, “for me to let them know the gratitude that I have for them and all their hard work throughout the course of the spring — and really, the complete and total buy-in to what we're asking them to do.”