Venables agrees to 2-year contract extension after leading Oklahoma to College Football Playoff

NORMAN, Okla. (AP) — Oklahoma football coach Brent Venables agreed Thursday to a two-year contract extension, after leading the Sooners to the College Football Playoff last season.

The deal adds two years to Venables’ previous contract and runs through Jan. 31, 2032. The extension, announced by athletics director Roger Denny, is pending approval by the OU Board of Regents, which meets next month.

“Since I arrived at Oklahoma, I’ve had the opportunity to spend a lot of time with Coach Venables, his staff and our student-athletes,” said Denny, who started as OU’s AD in February. “It didn’t take long to see how well suited he is to lead Oklahoma Football. Coach Venables is elite at building culture — not just in the locker room, but throughout the entire program. Our players are drawn to him. They trust him, they believe in him and he has a unique ability to connect with young men and bring out the best in them.

“What I hope this extension says to our players is that in an environment that changes every day, we’re investing in stability for our program. Amidst the disruption of college sports, Oklahoma will be a place where student-athletes will find consistency.”

Venables, 55, is entering his fifth season as Oklahoma’s coach. He led the Sooners to a 10-3 record and their first College Football Playoff appearance since 2019. They were the No. 8 seed and hosted a first-round game, which they lost to Alabama, 34-24. It marked OU’s second 10-win regular season under Venables, who also won 10 games in 2023, and the 2026 team is ranked No. 10 in the AP Top 25.

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Oklahoma’s 2025 defense, under the direction of Venables as play-caller, was one of the nation’s best. The Sooners ranked sixth in the country in yards allowed per game (272.5) and seventh in points allowed per outing (15.5). They also led the nation in tackles for loss per game (9.4) and sacks per contest (3.5), and paced the SEC in seven defensive categories.

Denny said Venables he attributes he seeks in all Oklahoma coaches.

“Right now, more than ever, what we need and more importantly what our student athletes need is stability,” Denny said. “When we have coaches and staff members that have demonstrated the ability to excel at the level that we expect them to excel we’re going to invest in them, and we’re going to do that knowing that it’s not always going to be easy.”

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