When Oklahoma opted to extend head football coach Brent Venables last week, the decision was viewed as a positive development for the Sooners’ long term stability, particularly entering a pivotal season as the program transitions to SEC competition.
Yet stability comes with an opportunity cost. And while Oklahoma clearly feels comfortable with a man like Venables at the helm, the Sooners opting to stick with their former defensive coordinator as head man through 2029 may present a number of “opportunities,” for opponents as well.
First, the stats involved here: Per ESPN (an On3 affiliated site), Venables’ new contract is set to run through 2029 at an annual rate north $8 million per season. Compare that to Steve Sarkisian’s new $10.5 million deal which is set to run through 2030, and both sides could conceivably feel like they got a relative bargain … for very different reasons. For Oklahoma, they now have an experienced head coach locked in at a rate that may prove to be a discount with continually escalating salary costs for coaches. For Texas, they get a coach who transformed a scuffling program and earned a spot in the College Football Playoff for less than $3 million per season more.
Would you pay a 25 percent premium to have a coach who lands top-5 recruiting class annually and oversaw the rise to the school’s first semifinal appearance? We would, too.
And yet, the news of Venables’ extension could portend even more positive developments for Texas. Just consider the stats from Texas’ first two editions of the Red River Rivalry played against a Venables-led team:
- Outscored OU by a combined 83-30
- Earned biggest Texas victory in series in 2022 (49-0)
- Flipped multiple prominent OU recruits (the most recent being former-Louisville defensive lineman Jermayne Lole)
Texas and Sarkisian have also out-recruited Oklahoma since Venables' arrival. Venables' first true class (2023) finished sixth, per On3's Industry Composite rankings. Texas was third in the same rankings. The Sooners' 2024 class finished ninth; Texas was sixth.
Then, of course, there’s the coup de grace: the devil you know is often better than the devil you don’t (with the exception of Lincoln Riley, and long may he live in Southern California for Texas fans' sake). When it comes to facing off against an arch rival like Oklahoma, it’s hard for Texas to do better than the likes of Brent Venables, who is just 16-10 with two non-New Year's Six bowl losses in two seasons.
For now, that’s a win in itself for Longhorns fans.
