Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables just made a $1 million statement.
USA Today's Steve Berkowitz reported Friday, on the eve of the Sooners' 2025 season opener against Illinois State, that Venables took a pay cut of $1 million for this year. According to a statement from the university to USA Today, that $1 million will be put toward revenue sharing for the program.
Brent Venables reduces salary $1 million for revenue share
"It was initiated by Coach Venables as a one-time give-back to contribute to the department's revenue-sharing efforts," an Oklahoma athletics department spokesman told USA Today.
USA Today obtained Venables' contract on Friday after an opens record request. According to USA Today, the agreement for the pay reduction came in early February. OU also hired football general manager Jim Nagy that same month. Nagy signed a three-year deal worth $2.55 million, making $750,000 in 2025 before the salary increases by $100,000 each year after that.
With the reduction, Venables will now make $7.55 million in 2025. However, according to Berkowitz, Venables' contract beyond 2025 stayed the same. Venables' current contract runs through Jan. 31, 2030. His salaries for the rest of the deal are $8.65 million for 2026 and 2027, $8.75 million in 2028 and $8.85 million in 2029.
Venables is not the only coach to do this, even in the state. Shortly after last season, in a last-ditch effort that saved his job at least for another season, Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy also reduced his salary by $1 million.
Venables enters this college football season on the hot seat after two losing seasons in three years leading the Sooners. This is certainly a valiant effort by Venables to not only turn the Sooners around after going 6-7 last season, but also at saving his job. Talent is ultimately what wins games, so that $1 million could buy Venables more wins and time.
If Venables does get fired this year, though, OU would have to pay him the rest of the $42.45 million left on his contract.
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