Brent Venables Associate Head Coach Def. Coordinator / LBs 13th Season   Football Coaching Staff

Coaching Accomplishments
• Coached 12 NFL Draft picks and four NFL free agents. Linebackers under his direction have been named the Big 12 Defensive POY five times and Big 12 Defensive NOY five times. Also has two Butkus Award winners and two other Butkus finalists along with a Bednarik Award winner.
 
• The 2010 defense was No. 13 in pass efficiency defense, No. 7 in tackles, and it helped OU earn a No. 7 ranking in turnover margin.
 
• The 2009 defense was No. 2 in the Big 12 in both scoring and total defense (No. 7 nationally in both). The unit also ranked No. 5 nationally in sacks (3.08), No. 5 in red zone defense (71%), No. 7 in rushing defense (88.6), No. 8 in tackles for loss (7.8) and No. 10 in pass efficiency defense.
 
• Despite facing 11 of the top 50 scoring offenses, OU was among the top three in nearly every Big 12 category in 2008. OU was No. 4 nationally in sacks, No. 20 in rushing defense.
 
• The 2007 defense was No. 2 in Big 12 scoring (No. 5 NCAA) and total (No. 19 NCAA) defense despite facing four of the nation's top-nine offenses, three of the top five. OU defense led Big 12 in sacks (32) and scored six TDs.
 
• A Broyles finalist `06 when OU led the Big 12 in total (No. 16 NCAA), scoring (No. 19 NCAA) and pass efficiency defense (No. 13 NCAA) and was No. 2 in rushing defense (No. 16 NCAA) and No. 6 nationally with 32 takeaways.
 
• In 2005, OU's NCAA rank was No. 4 in rush, No. 13 in total defense.
 
• OU led the Big 12 in 2004 in total, rushing and scoring defense. The Sooners ranked No. 11 nationally in scoring and rushing defense, No. 13 in total defense.
 
• The 2003 Sooners ranked No. 1 nationally in total defense and passing defense, No. 2 in pass efficiency defense, No. 3 in scoring defense, No. 5 in turnover margin and No. 19 in rushing defense.
 
• In 2002, OU was No. 6 nationally in scoring defense, No. 7 in pass efficiency, defense, No. 9 in passing defense, No. 10 in total defense and No. 14 in rushing defense.
 
• In `01, OU ranked No. 4 nationally in scoring and total defense, No. 5 in pass eff., defense, No. 6 in takeaways, No. 7 in rushing defense and No. 11 in passing defense.
 
• All three 1997 K-State linebackers were all-conference.
 
Prominent Pupils
• Travis Lewis (Oklahoma), 2008 Big 12 Defensive NOY, 2008 Big 12 Defensive FOY
• Keenan Clayton (Oklahoma) Eagles
• Curtis Lofton (Oklahoma), Falcons, All-American, 2007 AP Big 12 Defensive POY
• Rufus Alexander (Oklahoma), First Team All-American, 2006 Big 12 Defensive POY
• Clint Ingram (Oklahoma), Saints
• Lance Mitchell (Oklahoma) 2004 All-Big 12, Butkus Award finalist, 2002 Big 12 Defensive NOY
• Teddy Lehman (Oklahoma), Jaguars, 2003 Butkus, Bednarik Award winner, All-American
• Rocky Calmus (Oklahoma) 2001 Butkus Award winner, 2001 Big 12 Defensive POY, All-American
• Torrance Marshall (Oklahoma) First Team All-American, Big 12 Defensive NOY
• Brandon Moore (Oklahoma)
• Jeff Kelly (Kansas State) All-American, 1998 Big 12 Def. POY, 1997 Big 12 Def. NOY
• Ben Leber (Kansas State), Vikings
• Mark Simoneau (Kansas State), Saints, All-American, Butkus Finalist, 1999 Big 12 Def. POY
• Percell Gaskins (Kansas State)
 
Accomplishments as a Player
• HM All-Big Eight in 1992 with 124 tackles (second on team), including a team-leading 68 unassisted tackles.
• Standout LB at Garden City (Kan.) Community College where he was an All-American after recording 276 tackles.
• Class 5A Defensive POY, Kansas Sports Magazine.