After reaching 10 wins last season and with a transition to the SEC ahead, Oklahoma handed Brent Venables a substantial contract extension heading into his third season in Norman. However, just eight games into 2024, Sooners fans are ready to move on from Venables following Oklahoma’s 26-14 loss to Ole Miss in Oxford to fall to 4-4.
“We didn’t live up to the standard today” - Brent Venables in his press conference (probably)
— Ronny Crimson (@RonnyCrimson69) October 26, 2024
Yea, you haven’t lived up to the standard at all in any of your three years as HC. We are literally the laughing stock of the SEC
Venables has a significant buyout if he were to be fired, but many Oklahoma fans are done with him either and are searching for ways to pay it. In his first season at OU, Venables went 6-7, before a 10-3 record in 2023, but now he’s staring down his second losing season in just three years. Oklahoma’s last losing season before 2022 was 1998 and the last coach to have two losing seasons across a three-year stretch in Norman was John Blake, who posted a losing record in all three of his years at the helm from 1996-98.
Brent Venables is literally the worst thing that has ever happened to the university of Oklahoma. John Blake and Gary gibbs inherited programs coming off NCAA sanctions…. Brent inherited a 10 win football team
— Christian “CJ” Stevens (@cjstevens25) October 26, 2024
Venables could be entering Blake territory amongst the Oklahoma fanbase, which is not a good place to be. However, Venables does have a reasonable excuse for the struggles of his offense this season, though his impatience did exasperate them. Oklahoma is without its top five wide receivers on the depth chart because of a series of unfortunate injuries. Still, Venables benched former five-star Jackson Arnold against Tennessee for true freshman Michael Hawkins Jr. Arnold started again today and played much better, throwing for 181 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions.
Venebles benching Arnold was a gross overreaction. So many dumb Oklahoma fans thought it was going to fix their team, too.
— Jon Reed (@Jon__Reed) October 26, 2024
Most Sooners fans, don’t want to hear about injuries. 4-4 is unacceptable in Norman, even with the Sooners in the SEC instead of the Big 12.
Burning a timeout in the 4th quarter just to punt is a perfect example of why Venables is not capable of this job
— Mr.Macintosh (@MstrMacintosh) October 26, 2024
It’s not just on social media where Venables is taking heat. The Sooners fans who made the trip to Oxford on Saturday let their head coach hear it any chance they had.
A LOUD Oklahoma contingent letting the #Sooners hear it heading to the locker room.
— TJ Eckert (@TJEckertKTUL) October 26, 2024
OU leads Ole Miss 14-10 thanks to a Jacob Jordan (!!!) TD in Oxford. pic.twitter.com/8UPCpeeQo5
With the offense struggling, Venables fired offensive coordinator Jackson Littrell heading into this matchup with Ole Miss, though it didn’t get much better. After throwing his OC under the bus, Venables could be next and most of the fanbase would love to see that.
If Venables has the same year as he did this year next year, that will be his last year as the HC at OU.
— ⭕️U - Woerzy (@woerzyfbaby) October 26, 2024
If you don’t produce wins at Oklahoma, you don’t stay.
Here’s to our only win for the rest of the year being Maine. Sick.
Disappointed is enough to describe this debacle.