Brent Venables Contract Extension Keeps OU Coach Through 2032

Brent Venables Contract Extension Keeps OU Coach Through 2032

The University of Oklahoma is extending its commitment to head football coach Brent Venables. The new Brent Venables contract extension will keep the Sooners' head coach in Norman through January 2032, pending approval from the OU Board of Regents.

OU Vice President and Director of Athletics Roger Denny announced the new six-year agreement Thursday. The deal adds two years to Venables' previous contract as Oklahoma prepares for the 2026 college football season following the Sooners' return to the College Football Playoff last year.

Brent Venables contract extension adds two years to OU deal

The new agreement comes as the 55-year-old Venables enters his fifth season as Oklahoma Sooners head football coach.

Denny, who became Oklahoma's athletics director in February, said work on the extension began shortly after OU's run to the College Football Playoff and described maintaining stability within the program as one of his priorities.

“Coach Venables is elite at building culture — not just in the locker room, but throughout the entire program,” Denny said.

The extension still requires approval from the University of Oklahoma Board of Regents, which is scheduled to meet Sept. 15-16.

Venables said to KOTV News on 6, he is grateful for the continued support from university leadership and emphasized his family's connection to Oklahoma.

“Most importantly, my family and I love Oklahoma,” Venables said. “This is our home, and we are deeply grateful for the way the Oklahoma family has embraced and supported us.”

Venables' full coaching biography and career history are available through OU Athletics.

Sooners returned to College Football Playoff in 2025

The extension follows one of the strongest seasons of Venables' tenure in Norman.

The 2025 Oklahoma Sooners earned their first College Football Playoff appearance since 2019, securing the No. 8 seed and the opportunity to host a first-round playoff game. The Sooners also recorded their second 10-win regular season under Venables, following a 10-win campaign in 2023.

OU enters 2026 ranked No. 9 in the preseason coaches poll and No. 10 in the AP preseason poll.

Defense became one of Oklahoma's biggest strengths in 2025 with Venables serving as defensive play-caller. The Sooners ranked sixth nationally in total defense, allowing 272.5 yards per game, and seventh nationally in scoring defense at 15.5 points per game.

Oklahoma also led the country with 9.4 tackles for loss per game and 3.5 sacks per game while leading the SEC in seven defensive categories.

Special teams also produced a program first when Tate Sandell became the first Oklahoma player to win the Lou Groza Award, presented annually to the nation's top collegiate placekicker. Sandell's player information is available through the official Oklahoma football roster.

OU invests in stability as college football changes

The decision to extend Venables comes during a period of dramatic change across college football, including conference realignment, the transfer portal, revenue sharing and changes to how programs recruit and retain players.

Denny said the agreement is intended to send a message of stability to current and future Oklahoma players.

That stability also follows continued success in OU football recruiting and NFL development. Oklahoma has produced 17 NFL Draft picks since Venables became head coach, including 10 offensive players. Seven Sooners were selected in the 2026 NFL Draft, tying the program's highest total since 2018.

The program has also recorded a team GPA above 3.0 for five consecutive semesters, according to OU.

Venables came back to Norman as head coach after previously spending more than a decade as an Oklahoma defensive coordinator before becoming defensive coordinator at Clemson. He has coached in eight national championship games during his career and was part of national championship teams at Oklahoma in 2000 and Clemson in 2016 and 2018.

Denny's official biography and role overseeing Oklahoma Athletics can be found through the University of Oklahoma Athletics Department.

With the Brent Venables contract extension, Oklahoma is now positioned to keep its head coach in place through the 2031 football season as the Sooners attempt to build on last year's playoff appearance and compete for championships in the SEC.

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