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Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables and South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer would make logical sense as top options, given their ties to the program
Both Venables and Beamer have been linked to the Sooners opening by way of the various national lists predicting who could possibly replace Riley. Time will tell how serious the interest is between Oklahoma and either coach.
Venables was a defensive coordinator for former Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops from 1999 to 2011 before he was hired at Clemson. Beamer spent three years on Riley’s staff before landing the South Carolina job. Longtime Oklahoman sports columnist Berry Tramel spoke with The State on both Venables’ and Beamer’s potential candidacies at OU.
BP: Starting with Brent Venables, how do folks in Norman view his tenure and how’s he thought of these days in OU circles?
BT: “Venables was beloved for many years and then he sort of made a scapegoat among the fans. When things started sliding a little bit in (2009, 2010, 2011) fans quickly forgot how good his 2009 defense was. It was a great defense. Golly, in the 22, 23 years of the house of (Bob) Stoops, it’s the second best OU defense, I’d say, behind the (2001) defense and 2000 defense — the year they won (the national title) it was really good, too.
BP: Same thing on Shane, how did folks view his tenure and what was the vibe around him during his time in Norman?
BT: “Now on Beamer, the fans really never got to know him much. They don’t have a strong opinion one way or the other, I don’t think.
I got to sort of studying Shane and he just had all the intangibles. Didn’t surprise me at all when South Carolina came calling. I have said this in the last 24 hours: If Shane had not taken the Gamecocks job — he’s still on the staff (at Oklahoma) — I think he’d be the head coach at OU right now. I think they would have elevated him just immediately. I think everybody had that experience with him — just top of the line.”
BP: Brent’s candidacy for head coaching jobs all over is well-documented. Why — if it is the case — would this be a gig he might be interested in actually chasing?
BT: “I don’t know what’s kept him from taking a good one. I got to believe he’s been offered all kinds of good ones before. I assume Kansas State’s offered him both times Bill Snyder retired, but I don’t know that. I don’t know why he hasn’t taken one and I don’t know why this would be any different.
BP: How important is head coaching track record given both Venables and Beamer only have one year of head coaching experience between them?
BT: “That matters zero at Oklahoma. ... One coach since 1935 had ever been a head coach before. In fact, some people would say, you’d be nuts to go chase the hottest name: (Cincinnati’s) Luke Fickell or (Baylor’s) Dave Aranda or (Iowa State’s) Matt Campbell, (Kentucky’s) Mark Stoops.
Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables and South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer would make logical sense as top options, given their ties to the program
Both Venables and Beamer have been linked to the Sooners opening by way of the various national lists predicting who could possibly replace Riley. Time will tell how serious the interest is between Oklahoma and either coach.
Venables was a defensive coordinator for former Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops from 1999 to 2011 before he was hired at Clemson. Beamer spent three years on Riley’s staff before landing the South Carolina job. Longtime Oklahoman sports columnist Berry Tramel spoke with The State on both Venables’ and Beamer’s potential candidacies at OU.
BP: Starting with Brent Venables, how do folks in Norman view his tenure and how’s he thought of these days in OU circles?
BT: “Venables was beloved for many years and then he sort of made a scapegoat among the fans. When things started sliding a little bit in (2009, 2010, 2011) fans quickly forgot how good his 2009 defense was. It was a great defense. Golly, in the 22, 23 years of the house of (Bob) Stoops, it’s the second best OU defense, I’d say, behind the (2001) defense and 2000 defense — the year they won (the national title) it was really good, too.
BP: Same thing on Shane, how did folks view his tenure and what was the vibe around him during his time in Norman?
BT: “Now on Beamer, the fans really never got to know him much. They don’t have a strong opinion one way or the other, I don’t think.
I got to sort of studying Shane and he just had all the intangibles. Didn’t surprise me at all when South Carolina came calling. I have said this in the last 24 hours: If Shane had not taken the Gamecocks job — he’s still on the staff (at Oklahoma) — I think he’d be the head coach at OU right now. I think they would have elevated him just immediately. I think everybody had that experience with him — just top of the line.”
BP: Brent’s candidacy for head coaching jobs all over is well-documented. Why — if it is the case — would this be a gig he might be interested in actually chasing?
BT: “I don’t know what’s kept him from taking a good one. I got to believe he’s been offered all kinds of good ones before. I assume Kansas State’s offered him both times Bill Snyder retired, but I don’t know that. I don’t know why he hasn’t taken one and I don’t know why this would be any different.
BP: How important is head coaching track record given both Venables and Beamer only have one year of head coaching experience between them?
BT: “That matters zero at Oklahoma. ... One coach since 1935 had ever been a head coach before. In fact, some people would say, you’d be nuts to go chase the hottest name: (Cincinnati’s) Luke Fickell or (Baylor’s) Dave Aranda or (Iowa State’s) Matt Campbell, (Kentucky’s) Mark Stoops.
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