8:22 AM
Sources told ESPN that Oklahoma and Venables hope to have a deal done as early as Sunday.
Venables has a long history at Oklahoma and has been a major part of the championship run at the school. He was on the Sooners' staff from 1999 to 2011.
Venables was the top assistant coach in college football in 2016 and won the Broyles Award. He has turned down many head-coaching opportunities in the past.
According to sources, Jeff Lebby would be his top choice if Venables left Oklahoma. Lebby, who was a semifinalist for the award the past two seasons, suffered a career-ending injury after four years as a student assistant at Oklahoma.
