Why Oklahoma's Brent Venables Goes 'Above and Beyond' With Emotion, Passion & Intensity
NORMAN — Like most of us, Brent Venables probably wonders what kind of head coach he’ll be.
Oklahoma’s 51-year-old rookie has worked and waited and studied and worked some more. He’s learned from some of the best of all time: Bill Snyder. Bob Stoops. Dabo Swinney.
That’s three national championships, five runner-up trophies and the single greatest reclamation project in the history the game.
That’s 556 career head coaching victories and three lifetimes of coaching swagger from which Venables can draw.
But make no mistake. When the No. 9-ranked Sooners host UTEP in the season opener on Saturday afternoon at 2:30, Venables will be his own man — solicitous like Swinney, professional like Stoops, calculated like Snyder — and pure, explosive passion like America’s most feared defensive coordinator for most of the last 20 years.
“When it comes to the coaching aspect,” Venables said, “I never have wanted to let my players down. Ever. Some of that focused intensity is for them — and the colleagues that I work with as well to deliver on my responsibilities.”
Brent Venables at Clemson
Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports
Venables said he’s always worn his emotions on his sleeve — as both a player and as an assistant coach. Will that work as the CEO of a multimillion dollar corporation like Oklahoma?
“I was that way as a player,” Venables said. “I think you have to find a way to create value for yourself. I wasn’t the most talented. So I just did it with effort and attitude and always tried to go above and beyond when it comes to emotion and passion and intensity.”
Venables credited Jim Leavitt, his linebackers coach at Kansas State, with showing him how to focus that passion and intensity to be a productive football player.
“Very passionate football coach,” Venables said. “He demanded that from us as players. He really nurtured that and promoted that. That’s always who I’ve been. When you love what you do, I think that shows.”
But playing with passion and coaching with passion — are they mutually exclusive? Players focus on their individual assignment and support their teammates. A head coach’s assignment is to focus on every individual player and yet never lose sight of the big picture.
“You’ve got to be aware of everything going on in regards to management,” Venables said. “As opposed to being on that white board until somebody tells you it’s time for the defense to go back out. That’s going to be different.
Brent Venables at Oklahoma
Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
“As a coach, I think it comes from a thankfulness, having a gratitude for whatever opportunity that you have as well. Passion is genuine love for what I do and just having a thankfulness is what you see as well.”
The Venables who Sooner Nation fell in love with in 1999 and 2000 is the same Venables who Clemson fans have applauded for the last decade. He hustles, he moves, he gyrates, he screams, he emotes, he strains — so much so the veins in his neck famously bulge. Sometimes he’ll accidentally eject his chewing gum. Spittle and sweat fly from him on gameday.
“From an expression standpoint, I’m very outwardly with my passions,” Venables said. “I don’t want to apologize for it. It’s not for everyone. That’s who I am. That’s who I’ve been since I’ve been here with my guys – honest, open, transparent, enthusiastic, passionate. I make no apologies for that.”
Venables famously grew up in a tough home with a single mom and a steady stream of abusive or emotionally stunted stepdads, two older brothers and a lot of anger.
But his environment didn’t define him. In fact, like the strongest members of the human race, he defied his upbringing, escaped his childhood. Venables has long been happily married and has raised a strong, healthy family of his own. He wears his faith on his sleeve a lot more than he used to — something else he probably picked up from Swinney — and he’d be the first to say he’s still figuring out every day how to live the life he desires.
He insists there are still elements of this life at which he wants to make improvements.
Brent Venables first day on the job in Norman.
CHRIS LANDSBERGER/THE OKLAHOMAN-USA TODAY NETWORK
“Just being patient,” he said. “I’m not naturally a patient person, so I need to talk to myself instead of listening to myself — like probably most of us in what those spaces are. That’s probably my No. 1 thing. Things can never happen fast enough for me. I can’t show frustration through that. I can certainly be anxious, but I need to always be aware of, how I do what I do matters. Whether that’s dealing with fans or administration or media or players or coaches, I have to do a good job of setting the tone and patience is something I’m not great at.
“There’s one. If you keep asking, you might find like nine other weaknesses. That’s probably my No. 1 thing.”
Venables’ contract will pay him an average of $7 million a year, but you get the sense he’d do this for free. He’s still up before the sunrise every day. He runs stadium steps in the summer heat as if they won’t be there tomorrow. He admires his sons and he dotes on his daughters and he adores his wife. Ask his players, and to a man they talk about how much he loves them.
He is, by the very definition, a people person.
Ultimately, the various segments that make up the man include a whole lot of football coach — one who’s never been a head coach, true enough. But at his core, Venables has poured himself into the game that has given him so much.
Brent Venables at the Red/White Game.
BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN-USA TODAY NETWORK
“Surround yourself with experience and wisdom and always (be) willing to learn,” Venables said. “Until you go through it, I can imagine. Nobody has had to tell me that. Until you go through it, you don’t really know.
“There's going to be times I’m on that white board just because that’s what I want to do. But I gotta manage the whole team, too, and the game itself. You’re relying on other people to help with that management. But ultimately it’s my responsibility. I’m incredibly excited about it.”
At his first game week press conference on Tuesday, Venables received a profound query: will Saturday be the most important thing he’s ever done?
“I don’t know,” he said. “Maybe to other people. But for me, no. The success is a byproduct of everything we’ve been implementing and working on. And I’ve always been like that, whether as a head coach or the success you have on defense.
“Winning the game is like an add-on. For me it’s the chase, it’s the journey, it’s the grind. That’s what prepares you. Everything else, to be quite honest, should be much easier because of the work you put in on the front end, and the preparation.”
