University of Oklahoma Sports

[Jersey Boss]

Howard Schnellenberger was the last HC we hired.

Not hired by Joe C either

[April in the Plaza]

I'm not a Riley apologist nor am I saying he did things the right way, but I get the USC move from a strictly business standpoint. And not because it is a "better" program; it's not. I'd say from an organizational standpoint OU is the better program, and even from a tradition standpoint it's in many ways like looking into a mirror.

What he DID get was a job roughly analogous to the one he inherited five years ago - tons of tradition, plenty of money, great nearby recruiting - PLUS a pretty good chance to dominate an otherwise respectable conference with a clear, relatively easy path to the college football playoff every year. Probably easier even than it was here, with only Oregon (the Pac 12's version of Oklahoma State) regularly standing between them and a conference title. That type of situation is vanishing soon at Oklahoma, where it will be a dogfight every year to even get to the SEC title game.

So from that standpoint, it is indeed a soft move on his part.

But beyond that, he was KILLING IT recruiting SoCal, and it will be even easier for him to get Cali kids to a revitalized USC than to get them to Oklahoma.

And - as long as we are talking recruiting - I've heard virtually no discussion about something else that surely drove him to USC; the NCAA's recently-adopted name, image, likeness policy. The opportunity to use NIL as a recruiting tool is probably unique at USC, located in the entertainment capital of the world (with far more football tradition/brand than UCLA...when USC is winning they are more popular in LA than are local NFL teams). The potential for a kid on a hot SC team to monetize NIL is probably even greater than for a kid playing at Alabama. I honestly can't think of any other college football program that could give a kid so much access to NIL monetization. I think this unprecedented move by Riley - and it IS unprecedented; no head football coach has left OU for another job since 1973 and the last time a head coach left OU for a COLLEGE job was 1947 - was the first of many such major shifts we will soon be seeing throughout college football.

All of that said, I still think this move was a giant knife in the back of (especially) Bob Stoops, and of the kids who Riley was lying to, right up until Sunday morning. When he undoubtedly lied to them again in a team meeting before hopping onto his chartered G450 headed to LA.

TV contracts would suggest otherwise. The kid at Alabama / OU / LSU is playing in a meaningful game almost every week, whereas the kid at USC is playing mostly scrub teams (save for Oregon) in games that kickoff when folks on the east coast are reading John Grisham in bed.

Plus, the Internet has made marketing, and the world in general, much flatter than it was 20 years ago (see, e.g., Kevin Durant and Westbrook becoming international superstars in OKC).

[bhawes]

I don't remember OU ever hiring a sitting HC. Unless it was before my memory. Venables checks lots of boxes.

Should be loyal to OU. He left because he thought his leaving was best for the team.

He's a defensive genius. Exactly what we will need in the SEC.

Has strong recruiting connections on defensive side. Again something we need in the SEC.

Can probably bring a few Clemson players with him. Plus a few Ole Miss players if Lebby comes with him.

What current HC that would leave their program has better qualifications?

Bringing back Mike Stoops to be co defensive coordinator and with Clemson increasing his salary from $400,000 to 1.2 Million was the reason Venables left.

[okcoolcoolcool]

TV contracts would suggest otherwise. The kid at Alabama / OU / LSU is playing in a meaningful game almost every week, whereas the kid at USC is playing mostly scrub teams (save for Oregon) in games that kickoff when folks on the east coast are reading John Grisham in bed.

Plus, the Internet has made marketing, and the world in general, much flatter than it was 20 years ago (see, e.g., Kevin Durant and Westbrook becoming international superstars in OKC).

The only argument here is that the national media likes when big markets are successful. OU and Alabama demand media attention because of how good they are, but ESPN and Fox Sports are nothing but overjoyed when they get to send their best talent to LA instead of Norman and Tuscaloosa. If Riley elevates USC to a powerhouse, you better believe they will get the Laker treatment in college football.

[Urbanized]

^^^^^^^
Exactly. Which is why I qualified just about everything I said with “a rolling USC team.”

When USC is rolling it’s a media machine, and people like Snoop Dogg, Will Ferrell and George Lucas are hanging out at practice.

[soonergolfer]

^^^^^^^
Exactly. Which is why I qualified just about everything I said with “a rolling USC team.”

When USC is rolling it’s a media machine, and people like Snoop Dogg, Will Ferrell and George Lucas are hanging out at practice.

Unfortunately for the USC celebs, Lincoln is a psycho when it comes to access to his team and practice. It will be interesting to see if he can get away treating the media in LA, the same as he did in Norman.

[BoulderSooner]

^^^^^^^
Exactly. Which is why I qualified just about everything I said with “a rolling USC team.”

When USC is rolling it’s a media machine, and people like Snoop Dogg, Will Ferrell and George Lucas are hanging out at practice.

that was also in an era without the NFL in LA and the dodgers and lakers were down ........... not even talking about the clippers ..

[BoulderSooner]

Unfortunately for the USC celebs, Lincoln is a psycho when it comes to access to his team and practice. It will be interesting to see if he can get away treating the media in LA, the same as he did in Norman.

yep lincoln was very anti NIL ... especially for freshman ie on the Hall and Willis podcast freshman were not allow to be on their show ..

[Jersey Boss]

I don't remember OU ever hiring a sitting HC. Unless it was before my memory. Venables checks lots of boxes.

Should be loyal to OU. He left because he thought his leaving was best for the team.

He's a defensive genius. Exactly what we will need in the SEC.

Has strong recruiting connections on defensive side. Again something we need in the SEC.

Can probably bring a few Clemson players with him. Plus a few Ole Miss players if Lebby comes with him.

What current HC that would leave their program has better qualifications?

Sounds to me similar to the reasons on why and how John Blake was hired.

[BoulderSooner]

Sounds to me similar to the reasons on why and how John Blake was hired.

blake had never even been a coordinator .. far from a "genius"

[Jersey Boss]

blake had never even been a coordinator .. far from a "genius"

"Similar", not "exactly". While not a coordinator, he was employed at a higher level of competition.

[Bill Robertson]

Sounds to me similar to the reasons on why and how John Blake was hired.

Huge difference. Venables is a proven D-Coordinator and recruiter on top 5 seasons at Clemson. Blake had no history even close to that.

[dcsooner]

Not really a Venables Fan. Not sure his demeanor is HC appropriate but I have no evidence of my opinion, just opinion. BS would have a clear view of that issue was/is a problem

[Bill Robertson]

^ I wouldn't be a fan of the brash, somewhat hot-headed DC at OU 11 years ago either. But Venables, like most of us, looks like he's learned from life.

[runOKC]

Carey Murdock just tweeted he doesn’t see how it could be Venables. Take that how you will.

[Bill Robertson]

Carey Murdock just tweeted he doesn’t see how it could be Venables. Take that how you will.

Could be. But I wish he would expand on why on Twitter instead of making you subscribe to SoonerScoop to read his reasoning. He does this baiting stuff o
a lot.

[soonergolfer]

If it was Brent, it seems like it would have been a done deal by now or at least announce a presser tomorrow. It seems like it may be a coach that will be coaching this weekend in conference championship games. That leaves Dan Lanning (Geo DC), Dave Aranda or maybe still Luke Fickell.

[Pete]

If it was Brent, it seems like it would have been a done deal by now or at least announce a presser tomorrow. It seems like it may be a coach that will be coaching this weekend in conference championship games. That leaves Dan Lanning (Geo DC), Dave Aranda or maybe still Luke Fickell.

They have to talk to multiple guys even if BV is their first choice.

And they really can't talk to a lot of people until after Saturday.


In any event, I would bet on a decision sometime next week, and that's not long away.

[mugofbeer]

This is a couple of days old but l haven't seen it mentioned on here:

Roy Manning alledgedly recruiting for OU AND USC?..

https://www.si.com/college/oklahoma/...y-and-oklahoma

https://soonerapp.com/2021/12/01/did...the-same-time/

https://tulsaworld.com/sports/colleg...dc5e0ea1f.html

[soonergolfer]

They have to talk to multiple guys even if BV is their first choice.

And they really can't talk to a lot of people until after Saturday.


In any event, I would bet on a decision sometime next week, and that's not long away.

Theoretically it’s not a long time away, but keep in mind national signing day for high school seniors is on Dec 15. Coaches were allowed to visit recruits on 11/30 and OU has already lost around half a dozen high school players in the top 200 nationally, plus a few guys that have entered the transfer portal.
If the new head coach doesn’t retain the coaches that were left by Riley, then OU will have to try and fill a most of the recruiting class in less than a week with all new coaches. That’s why I think if it was simply Brent V, he would of been hired already and would be tearing up the road trying to keep everything together. Suffice to say, Lincoln left them in a really bad spot.

[Jheat]

I have heard they will announce who the head coach is on Sunday.

[BoulderSooner]

I have heard they will announce who the head coach is on Sunday.

stoops said yesterday on his Youtube show https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ni9_voaTsRo

that he expects a hire this weekend or "at the latest monday"


it also came out yesterday that stoop said no to getting pay to be the Interim HC twice and so they stopped asking and just paid him

[soonergolfer]

stoops said yesterday on his Youtube show https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ni9_voaTsRo

that he expects a hire this week or "at the latest monday"


it also came out yesterday that stoop said no to getting pay to be the Interim HC twice and so they stopped asking and just paid him

That tells you all you need to know about Stoops. OU is really lucky to have an ambassador like Bob still being a part of the program.

[Bill Robertson]

stoops said yesterday on his Youtube show https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ni9_voaTsRo

that he expects a hire this weekend or "at the latest monday"


it also came out yesterday that stoop said no to getting pay to be the Interim HC twice and so they stopped asking and just paid him

At least we now have a timing prediction from someone who probably knows something.

[Pete]

^

Bob would know because they have to coordinate with him as interim coach and the guy trying to hold recruiting together.

Joe C is notoriously stealth so a lot of the rumors are just that, but Bob is someone inside the circle of trust.