Oklahoma Sooners head coach Brent Venables signed a two-year contract extension last week, a new six-year deal that includes a pay increase.
Opinions from local and national analysts vary widely on OU's decision to extend Venables' contract, but one reporter feels Oklahoma made a tactically smart move.
Mike Farrell Sports reporter Rock Westfall weighed in on athletic director Joe Castiglione's move and praised the timing of the contract extension.
“The 2024 schedule is extremely tough,” Westfall said, “and that may have left Venables vulnerable. If Oklahoma performs well against its schedule, Venables' extension will seem like a stroke of genius. But more likely, if the Sooners struggle in 2024, the new contract will silence any rumors of struggle and allow Venables to effectively recruit and ensure opposing coaches can't say he won't survive.”
Westfall praised Castiglione for his track record of good decision-making.
“Joe Castiglione is a contender for the best athletic director in college sports,” Westfall continued. “He's been at the helm at Oklahoma since 1998, and under his leadership the football program has been outstanding. Castiglione hired Bob Stoops to bring a generation of glory to Norman. Lincoln Riley and Brent Venables were hailed as good hires when Castiglione hired them. Most importantly, Castiglione made Oklahoma athletics attractive enough to receive an invitation to the SEC. So while Venables' contract extension seems hasty, there is logic behind it. The biggest reason for the extension is that Castiglione did it.”
We'll have to wait and see how Oklahoma performs in 2024, but Venables' new contract means the Sooners won't be in hot water if they don't live up to expectations this season. Nationally, many expect a tough year for Norman, but the roster continues to improve. There aren't many holes in the depth charts outside of the offensive line. Even that unit looks better than the national media expects.
But like it or not, negative recruiting happens in college sports, especially college football. Beleaguered coaching staffs have a hard time attracting elite recruits because the players they recruit don't know if their coach will still be there a few years from now. Other programs know this, and they go on the offensive, doing everything in their power to scare prospects away from that school.
Castiglione's decision to extend his coaching contract means high school students and transfer students will know who is leading the charge in Norman now and in the future.
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This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire
