— And we continue the coaching debate with the two coaches on opposite sides of the Red River Rivalry, Steve Sarkisian and Brent Venables.
The case for Sarkisian:
For one, Sark has a ton more experience as a head coach – with eight-plus seasons under his belt, the head man at Texas has been in charge of a program for a lot longer than his counterpart at Oklahoma. Additionally, he’s a proven recruiter who has reeled in some of the biggest names over the year, including most recently Arch Manning. The Longhorns have finished in the top five of 247’s composite rankings in his first two full cycles in Austin. Finally, he’s an upper-tier offensive mind who has coordinated and called plays for some of the best units in history, including the 2020 Alabama team that shattered records.
The case against Sarkisian:
Let’s address the elephant in the room – Sarkisian has some skeletons in his closet. And while he seems to have gotten the demons that haunted him at USC under control, alcohol problems aren’t something you shake permanently. Texas is also arguably the job under the microscope more than any other in the country, and that added pressure is hard for any coach. He’s expected to put up big things in his third season at the helm.
The case for Venables:
Before arriving as the head coach in Norman, Venables was one of the best and most decorated defensive coordinators of the past decade, leading two national-championship winning units for Clemson with dozens of NFL draft picks who developed under his tutelage. Additionally, he’s pulled in a phenomenal first full class on the recruiting trail, highlighted by five-stars Peyton Bowen and Jackson Arnold.
The case against Venables:
The 2022 season couldn’t have gone much worse on the field than it did. A losing record for the first time in a quarter century at a program that expects excellence does not buy any goodwill with the fanbase. He seemed completely lost at times during games last year, and the Sooners’ defense was truly putrid, finishing bottom-10 in the nation in yards allowed.
More Sports News
The verdict:
It’s still Sarkisian, but it’s closer than anticipated. If Venables is able to continue to close on recruits the way that he did heading into national signing day, then Oklahoma can get back to competing with the top teams in the nation (especially if Arnold is as-advertised). But Sark has the combination of experience, recruiting ability, and proven offense that makes him the better choice – for now.
