Ad Disclosure
Brent Venables named to ESPN’s early ‘hot seat’ watch list for 2025
Published:
Brent Venables could be on the hot seat heading into the 2025 season.
Venables was featured in ESPN’s way-too-early hot seat breakdown for the 2025 season in a post that was published on Monday. Venables was listed under the “We want this to work section” that also included coaches like Auburn’s Hugh Freeze and Alabama’s Kalen DeBoer, amongst other coaches.
ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg penned the piece and offered reasons why each of these coaches could be in trouble. The following is an excerpt about Venables’ status:
Ideally, OU would maintain its championship trajectory under a coach who wants to end his career in Norman, and make Riley regret his decision. But Venables is off to a shaky start. A Sooners team that never lost more than five games under Stoops and never more than two under Riley has dropped seven twice in three years under Venables. Other than a home win against Alabama, Oklahoma’s first season in the SEC contained few bright spots.
Venables has collected a 22-17 record over 3 seasons with the Sooners. Concerningly, the Sooners had 3 losses of 20+ points in 2024. However, Rittenberg also pointed to a new offensive coordinator and quarterback as reasons for optimism in 2025.
Venables hopes the arrival of offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle and quarterback John Mateer, both from Washington State, can spark an offense that averaged only 24 points.
Mateer and Arbuckle helped Washington State end the season with the No, 18 total offense in the country in 2024. Meanwhile, the Sooners finished with the No. 113 unit.
It’s hard to imagine Brent Venables being at the helm in 2026 if the Sooners lose 7 games again. Although, Oklahoma athletic director Joe Castiglione hasn’t fired a coach since 1998, so Venables may have a longer leash than some others on the list. Venables is also a revered figure in Norman for his many years spent as an assistant under Bob Stoops.
Bryce Lazenby covers college football for Saturday Down South. A Nashville native, his previous stops include FanSided, Dimers, and The Leaf-Chronicle.
