The Oklahoma Sooners were on a bye this week, which means the players and coaches weren’t as busy as they usually are. Sometimes, when teams are on a bye, coaches will conduct in-person recruiting to target highly valued players or those near them, utilizing some of their in-state recruiting efforts. This means they will sometimes go to high school games to recruit and show their support. Head coach Brent Venables did not do that.Instead, he was busy at his old stomping grounds in Clemson, talking to his old head coach, Dabo Swinney, on the sideline.
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Venables watched his son play in Clemson while on the sideline
“Yeah, I looked up and was like ‘there’s Brent [Venables],” Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney said with a laugh when asked about his former defensive coordinator being on the sideline. “I gave him a sideline pass! I went over there and said ‘What do you think they are going to call here on a second and 14?'”He said, ‘Probably a screen or draw. Probably a screen or draw.’ I love Brent; it was great to see him, and it was awesome to see him be dad. You talk about one of the best leaders we have had here — Rick and Tyler Venables [Brent’s son]. For him to be back and to be part of that was awesome. It was good mojo. Pulling for those guys [Oklahoma] for a strong finish.”
Clemson HC Dabo Swinney did his best impersonation of #Sooners HC Brent Venables tonight after beating FSU 🤣🤣🤣Venables was on Clemson sideline watching his son, Tyler Venables play during the bye week. pic.twitter.com/a3YEPZRiCm
— Justin Churchill (@ChurchillAtoZ) November 9, 2025
Venables was very successful at Clemson, which is how he basically ended up getting the head coaching gig at Oklahoma. Winning the National Championships he won at Clemson, beating great Alabama Crimson Tide teams like he did, was a huge contributor to getting the job he has now.But he wasn’t there in Clemson to celebrate that, while he was wearing Clemson gear. Instead, he was decked out in a Clemson hat and quarter-zip pullover because he was supporting his son, Tyler Venables, who is a linebacker/safety at Clemson. And, as Swinney said, it was good to see Venables be a dad for once, because all we see as media and fans of OU is him as a head coach. And he’s that 24/7, so getting a break for a second had to be awesome for him.
Brent Venables’ record at Clemson
- 2012: 11–2 (Defensive Coordinator; Clemson went 11–2, won Chick-fil-A Bowl)
- 2013: 11–2 (Defensive Coordinator; Clemson went 11–2, won Orange Bowl)
- 2014: 10–3 (Defensive Coordinator; Clemson went 10–3, won Russell Athletic Bowl)
- 2015: 14–1 (Defensive Coordinator; Clemson went 14–1, National Runner-up)
- 2016: 14–1 (Defensive Coordinator; Clemson went 14–1, National Champions)
- 2017: 12–2 (Defensive Coordinator; Clemson went 12–2, lost Sugar Bowl semifinal)
- 2018: 15–0 (Defensive Coordinator; Clemson went 15–0, National Champions)
- 2019: 14–1 (Defensive Coordinator; Clemson went 14–1, lost CFP National Championship)
- 2020: 10–2 (Defensive Coordinator; Clemson went 10–2, lost Sugar Bowl semifinal)
- 2021: 10–3 (Defensive Coordinator; Clemson went 10–3, won Cheez-It Bowl)
Getting that break could end up being good for him as he hits this final stretch of his season, where he will have to basically win out over Bama, the Missouri Tigers, and the LSU Tigers for a spot in the College Football Playoffs.
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