Agreed - they just had no running game. When they had 3rd and short, they could not get it - ever. Cost them many games, especially in the playoffs. Reid has learned from this at KC.
What is Brent Venables waiting for?
- Thread starter DogPatch
- Start date
It's really rare when someone is both really good at their job and also has no or little desire to move up. It seems like this is where Venables is. Idk why, its rare and a little weird. Based on his resume he could probably get most jobs in the country.
It is rare in coaching circles, but not rare at all in the rest of the world. I know many people who have turned down promotions for a variety of reasons, including preservation of a work/life balance. Once you have your bills covered, money becomes a lot less important.
D'man, then you know that BV was not fired by Bob Stoops. When Mike took the Arizona HC job BV was moved from CO-DC to DC. When Mike was fired at AZ, and was hired back by his brother and BV was subsequently made a CO-DC again, he understandably began looking elsewhere. OU fans have never forgiven Bob for the blatant nepotism demonstrated by being Mike back as he did. The irony to all this is that BV was never considered a great DC at OU. His claim to fame was as a recruiter and LB coach.
The slow steady decline in the quality of the OKLAHOMA D has been a direct result of Mike in the DC role and this entire debacle was aided and abetted by the blatant nepotism of his brother Bob. No coaching changes at OU have been so well received by the fan base as the recent D staff makeover. Well, maybe the removal of John Blake for Bob Stoops would rank higher.
Mike stoops engrained a terrible culture into the OU program defensive offices.
Yes, I am familiar with the whole story. Call it what you want, Bob made it untenable for Brent to remain at Oklahoma and he was basically forced out.
I can say without equivocation that what you are implying is not true. Brent was happy at OU. He was not put in an untenable position. Clemson approached him with an offer he felt was better for him and his family. He was torn and it was a difficult decision. He was not forced out. My source on this is from someone who talks to Brent on a fairly regular basis. Brent is extremely happy at Clemson and left OU simply for a better situation. There was video shown back in OK. after we lost to Clemson in a bowl game...not the playoff game, showing the Stoops' and the Venables family meeting on the field and embracing. Your implication is completely w/o merit.
I wouldn't say completely without merit, but I also wouldn't say untenable. Getting demoted so your boss can rehire his brother would make any workplace a little awkward, and question how much you are truly valued.
My source said that going back to co-dc with Mike was never an issue. They had worked that way before Mike took the 'Zona job. The Stoops' have a long history with BV going back to K-State. They are all very close.
They might have thought that they had it worked out, but clearly they didn't. Venables left. He isn't the kind of guy to just leave for greener pastures, and when he took the Clemson job, Clemson was not where they are today, so he took a step backward to leave OU. You don't do that unless you are unhappy about something.
I DO trust that you are very plugged into the Oklahoma program Owen and have more insight than I do, so I’ll take you at your word. Suffice it to say though that Oklahoma let BV get away when they could have taken other steps to retain him. Even you have admitted that Bob let family ties sometimes cloud his better judgment—if I’ve understood you correctly in the past.
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He got a huge raise. We are notorious for not paying top $$ for assistant coaches. I have been told by many that the Clemson culture is extremely welcoming. I cannot read the man's mind but every legitimate source I have stands by an amicable separation w/o pressure or untenable circumstances. It's sort of like Stoops retiring. There are still those who refuse to accept the fact that the guy was simply ready.
Oh, I doubt that he was mad about it, but I doubt it was about the money. He left a program which was a contender for national titles every year and went to a program that was a mess for decades with no real history. He didn't do that for more money. He did it because of the nepotism.
This is all just my opinion, but it makes a lot more sense than him just leaving for the money. When put into context, that sounds totally wrong.
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