Venables becomes 10th highest paid college football coach

August 21, 2026 - 00:58

The University of Oklahoma and head football coach Brent Venables have reached an agreement on a new six-year contract, a move that locks in the program's leader through the 2030 season. The news was first reported by ESPN's Pete Thamel on Tuesday afternoon.

Financial terms were not immediately disclosed, but the extension is expected to place Venables among the highest-paid coaches in the sport. According to multiple reports, the new deal will push his annual compensation to roughly $10 million, making him the 10th highest-paid coach in college football. That figure would trail only a handful of established names, including Georgia's Kirby Smart, Clemson's Dabo Swinney, and Alabama's Kalen DeBoer.

Venables, who took over in Norman in 2022, has posted a 22-15 record in three seasons. After a rocky 6-7 debut, he guided the Sooners to a 10-3 mark in 2023 and a 6-6 regular season this past fall, which ended with a bowl loss to Navy. The 2024 campaign was the program's first in the Southeastern Conference, and the team showed flashes of promise but struggled with consistency on offense.

The extension signals confidence from athletic director Joe Castiglione and the university's leadership in Venables' long-term vision, particularly on the recruiting trail and in player development. The Sooners have already secured a top-ten recruiting class for 2025, and the new deal is seen as a stabilizing move as the program continues to adjust to the grueling SEC schedule.

Venables, known for his defensive acumen and energetic sideline presence, has also been praised for his culture-building efforts off the field. The new contract removes any doubt about his status heading into the 2025 season, where Oklahoma will face a demanding slate that includes road games at Alabama and Tennessee.