The Oklahoma Sooners are in their second week of spring practice and the football facility is buzzing with high school football players and their families ahead of a critical recruiting weekend.
He doesn't want to spend a lot of time in his office since he isn't a big office kind of guy. The office is designed to stand out because he wants to be in the middle of it. He has been holed up in a two-bedroom condo in Norman waiting for his wife and two daughters to join him. He has a shelf in the kitchen where he keeps his Lucky Charms and other snacks.
Venables has a few healthy brands as well.
Is he excited about the 8 or 10 boxes of cereals?
This may be nostalgia. He is going back to his coaching roots at a place that has always felt good to him. Go deeper into Venables' past and you'll see that the cereals mean more. For a poor kid from Kansas, the horizon was a reminder of how far he's come.
He says that when he grows up, he will have every cereals imaginable.
The family was moved from Florida to Kansas when Venables was 2 years old. Venables said his mom had bad tastes in men. He said that he had four stepdads come and go during his youth. His mom took in every stray dog or cat in the neighborhood. According to Venables, she had a liking for sad figures.
He says that she believed in people despite their flaws. For us, that wasn't a very healthy environment to grow up in.
Venables would be in awe when he visited his friends' homes with shelves full of colorful boxes. The family went to Food 4 Less. They bought some corn tortillas.
Venables said if you wanted frosted Corn Flakes, you dumped sugar on them. That's it. It's time to load it up
Something about those boxes made Venables want to vomit. As Venables says, "You didn't hear a beer can opening before noon every day."
Venables reminds us that success doesn't come easy. He has been a head coach in eight national championship games and won three. Venables is the highest paid defensive coach. He has been an assistant for 29 years and has never had a losing season.
He knows his story could have been different. Venables' older brother, Kirk, died from a seizure due to years of alcohol abuse, during Venables' last season as an assistant at Oklahoma. Two brothers grew up with the same challenges and ended up different things.
Venables was in a car on his way to visit recruits when he looked at his phone. More than 800 text messages were sent from friends and family to people looking for work.
He had only imagined good cereals. Look at him, now.
He wants to share the message that he wants to build this program with.
Venables says the purpose of his life was created by the pain. The improvement process is very painful. Real growth happens in that area.
The great players at Kansas State put in a lot of hard work. Maybe 99%. Everyone can't go hard on every practice. Every warm-up session, nobody does it fast. Nobody is that hard- working.
All except Venables.
The former LB was at 120 percent. He was so hard at it. He warmed up very quickly. He was always moving fast.
Venables started his career at a community college. He grew into an All-American on a few shreds of talent and force of will. It's difficult to imagine a time when Venables isn't boiling over.
Bob Stoops, who recruited Venables to K-State and later hired him at Oklahoma, said that Venables can relax if he is over at his house. Depending on what you're saying, that will come out. He is going to rip you apart.
Venables was on the sideline at the game. On game days, one of the strength coaches will be a Venables wrangler. In the heat of the moment, keeping Venables on the sideline was almost impossible, so Adam Smotherman became the "get-back coach."
He is twitchy and strong. He can make something happen. I used to have to use my strength to pull him back.
Venables grew tired of the shoddy work of the walk-on scout team and would play the quarterback himself. Not quite "himself." The exploits of Jimmy Greenbeans became legendary. Venables had a huge gash across the bridge of his nose when he was sandwiched between two future first-round D-linemen. Blood gushed down his face as he worked as the quarterback. He caught his finger on a linemen helmet. He has broken a bone before. Venables broke a finger trying to catch a softball last year, and he lost a finger during his dry cleaning.
Venables can be seen with a recruit. Cale Gundy, Oklahoma's longtime assistant, had a few of his players and their families out for a visit a few weeks ago. The tour went by Venables' office. All of Venables' trademarks are included in the sales pitch, according to Gundy.
Gundy said that he spoke from the heart and grabbed everyone in the room. One of the fathers looked at me and said, "Oh my God, what we just went through in there was powerful."
Gundy said he has never been more excited about the program than he is now.
"I've coached with some of the best, but this stuff thatBrent's doing is on a whole different level," Gundy said.
Everyone uses the word "infectious" because it's not just Venables' energy but how he transfers it to everyone around him.
It's obvious that he yells. He can sound like he swallowed something if he's caught after a hard practice. He's all potential energy, even in the quiet moments, when his tone is flat and considered.
Drake said that his father's speeches would have him ready to run through a wall.
It's been almost 30 years since Venables suited up at Kansas State, and Snyder still wonders if the guy worked so hard, practiced so hard, hit so hard, because he liked it, or if he was terrified that if he didn't, the opportunity would pass him by
It's the first practice of the spring and DaShaun White is trying to impress his new coach. He attacks the line of scrimmage, meets his blocker, pushes him toward the ground, and wraps up the ball carrier in the backfield after the ball is snapped. It's tackle for loss. Whaddya think?
Venables said that it was terrible.
White is not sure what to think. He tackled the person.
Venables said you were flat. Flat players don't work well.
White stares blankly.
Venables wants to say it.
What are you talking about?
Don't say it. Flat players don't work well.
White says the same thing over and over.
Venables crouched like he was going to make the play. You go down the hill. You hit him in the stomach.
The white person nodded.
White wants to prove something after studying the tape. The ball is snapped a second time. White charges downhill at his blocker, attacks his center, and blows up the offensive back field.
The Venables start screaming after blowing the whistle.
He yelled, "You see that?" Are you aware that you see that? That's how you do it.
He got his first coaching job as a graduate assistant at Kansas State in 1993 because he thought he was in the right place. It felt like he had a key to someone else's pantry.
Venables said that he didn't want to be told he had to leave.
He worked all day long.
Venables was promoted to head coach at the request of Bob Stoops. Venables and Stoops spent 12 years together at Oklahoma before Venables left to become a coach. Venables was one of the most prepared coaches in the country.
Oklahoma athletic director Joe Castiglione said thatBrent practiced every day for game day. It's a way of life.
Venables is carrying a microphone at practice. A player jogs back to the sideline and Venables is on the mic. There are no people jogging. You're running. When practice stops, the player comes back and does some work. Venables is doing the same things as well.
The defense met every morning at 5 to prepare for the game. At 5 on the dot, Venables would roar into the space, clapping and screaming, "Wake up!" as the players trickled in. It's time for you to wake up!
Boulware said it would make you almost poop.
According to James Skalski, Venables kept them up until all hours of the morning studying film.
"He would fall asleep with the clicker in his hands and then snap back into it, ready to go," Skalski said.
It wasn't just the basics. Venables had a lot of information on the opposition.
Boulware said that the opponent's entire roster, along with everything from a football standpoint, would be included.
In a game against Louisville, Venables' preparation salvaged a win for the tigers. The ball was at the 1-yard line with less than a minute remaining. The defense held firm. Venables had seen the last play of the Cards before.
"It was a play that Bobby had run before, and it was a play that I was familiar with," he said.
Venables spent Friday night sifting through nearly two decades of Petrino's goal-line play calls. Venables signaled to his defense, and when the ball was thrown, tackle DeShawn Williams was in a perfect position to make a play.
"He's the closest assistant I've ever seen to Nick, and that's saying a lot," said Turnipseed, who was Venables' boss at Oklahoma. His love for the game, his love for coaching and his desire to be the best is what makes him tick.
It was the second week of his sophomore season.
He was too similar to his coach. Venables knew him well because he was an undersized linebacker who played ferociously.
Boulware said that he talked to him all the time. He said he was tougher on me than any other coach.
Boulware became fond of the fight. He didn't compete against the other person. He became one of the most feared players in the Atlantic Coast Conference and the leader of the national championship team because of his competition with Venables.
Boulware did not quite adapt as a sophomore. He thought Venables owed him a bit of playing time because he'd been criticized a lot. Boulware didn't see the field in the first week. He was really angry. It was definitely furious. It's possible that Venables was aware of the anger. Boulware was with the 1s on the first day of practice. You're here, kid.
Boulware said that he called the wrong front.
Venables was angry that the fire was displayed.
Boulware said that he was about to cry because he was being lectured by him.
Boulware sawthed throughout the rest of practice, and when the linebacker huddle ended, he walked up to Venables, crying, and quit.
I'm not taking this anymore. I'm finished. I can't stand football. Boulware said he hated you.
He stared at his coach. This isn't this.
Boulware said that he chuckled. He said you're not quitting.
Venables smiled and told Boulware that he was too good to leave.
Boulware said that he turned a switch. We had a great discussion. He said that football is just business. We need to get things done. He was crying with me after ripping me a new one for two hours.
The last outpost of VENABLES in Norman ended 12 years ago. After quitting, he changed his mind again. Venables bumped into Castiglione's wife at the Oklahoma City airport on his way to start his job, and the two ended up hugging at the gate, both crying. He was close to skipping the flight. For someone who had grown up without a place to call home, Norman became their home.
The time was right for something different. The most challenging season of Venables' career was the one in which his defense lost to Texas Tech, Oklahoma State and Baylor. Mike Stoops was going to join the staff to coordinate the defense for the year. Venables was overwhelmed by loss as well. He had lost one of his players, Austin Box, to a combination of drugs just days before his brother died.
Venables said the wholeecosystem felt off.
Venables said it became a lot about winning and getting ate up. I knew there was more to come.
That's when Venables and Swinney started talking.
He was poor as well. The man's father drank a lot. His mother slept in his dorm room when he was a student at Alabama. During his first call with Venables, he shared the entire journey. They talked for a long time.
Venables was embarrassed about it. I was embarrassed. I was hurt by it. I thought it was my fault. That helped me grow because Dabo was so transparent about it. I didn't know how much it took.
It was a good feeling. Somewhere along the line, the dreams of better cereals were replaced with a pressure to win at all costs, and Venables was offered a chance to return to his roots. His approach to coaching has been set in motion by that.
Venables is attempting to meet them where they are. Being open and honest is what it is.
There isn't enough hours in the day to make Venables' policy work. Venables isn't budging despite being asked to dial back the player meetings and post practice speeches.
The quarterback was about to enroll at UCLA but he had second thoughts. Jeff Lebby, Gabriel's former offensive coach at the University of Central Florida, was hired by Oklahoma as their new offensive coach. Gabriel had to get along with the head coach. Venables was on the phone with Gabriel at 3 a.m., trying to sell him on Oklahoma. Since then, the calls have not stopped.
Gabriel said that he would be transferring to Oklahoma. I'm usually good without it. I know he's checking on everyone as well. That's a great feeling.
The Oklahoma S.O.U.L. Mission program was launched by Venables. Tailors came to the building in the spring to make sure every player had a suit that was perfect. Venables wouldn't have accepted the job if Oklahoma didn't invest in player development away from the field.
Venables said that many of the young guys would look to him as the best example in their life. I didn't have a father figure like that when I left.
They need to have a connection with me before they can commit and believe and be honest with me. I let them look at all of it. There are scars. It's everything.
It's early November of 2021. The Venables are in Dad Mode. He is saying prayers with his daughter, Laney, but he is still a coach, so he is giving her a speech about following her heart.
He told her to dream big.
The old man was going to be pushed by Laney.
She asked why he didn't take the job at auburn.
Venables was a hot commodity during coaching searches, but he didn't give an opening much thought. Jake said that there was a point when the family had all but given up on the idea that he would one day make the leap. Venables would bring the family to the living room to discuss the pros and cons of a job. It didn't feel right to call Florida State a few years ago. After the 2020 season, there was another team. It seemed like that one was going to be good. They voted on it. The family decided to take the job. Venables didn't vote in favor of it.
Jake Venables said that it was a majority kind of thing. We think this is what you want.
Laney wants answers.
Some coachspeak about alignment and investment is offered by...
She said that you don't have to be scared. "Don't give up."
A poor child from Kansas has dreams. There are boxes of cereals. He was the highest-paid assistant coach in the country and he loved his job. Venables was able to surpass his dreams.
Maybe there was a place that was still worth thinking about. Jake said they had talked about Oklahoma before. It wasn't believable.
There was a mountaintop Venables believed was worth climbing after the job opened.
It was the next step that was bigger.
Venables said that it was a huge thing. You need to chase your giants as well. You need to step through the door when the opportunity is there. You have to kick it in sometimes.
It's early July, and Venables is riding out the final days of a vacation before his first fall camp. He's talking about his team.
He says nobody's expectation can surpass his own. There isn't a fan base." There is no past. There was none.
Venables didn't like it when his defensive linemen appeared on the cover of the magazine.
Venables says that they had a bonfire.
There isn't a lot of hype in Oklahoma. The season win total for the Sooners was set by Las Vegas at 9.5. The Oklahoma message boards are still obsessed with Lincoln Riley, who left for USC after the 2021 season. Riley is getting a lot of love from people who think he's going to be an instant fix for USC, which won four games last season. The national championship odds for the USC are half that of Oklahoma.
There wasn't a single Oklahoma player named on offense or defense in the preseason All-Americans released by Athlon Sports. This is the first time in 22 years that has happened. It feels like Riley took some magic formula with him to USC, along with two other Sooners, and Venables was allocated the leftovers of what used to be a champion football team.
Venables has a good laugh.
This is the reason that the cereals boxes are still relevant. Venables says that they remind you to be at the top of the mountain and down in the valley.
Enjoy the view from the top of the mountain. The valley is home to many people.
Venables thinks that's good. It's appropriate. That's Life 101 is what I want the team to know. You get what you make. We are not deserving of success. Even if you had a great year a year ago, you don't deserve to be in the top tier. Every year, you start over and don't get messed up. I think it's great. We're here, boys.
We've got one, that's what I've said about having a blank canvas.
Go and get some cereals.
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