The 2025 season is a make-or-break one for the Oklahoma Sooners and head coach Brent Venables; that much is obvious. It’s not a secret in Norman and it’s not a secret to the rest of the college football world either. Venables is clearly sitting on a hot seat after two 6-7 seasons in three years in charge.
But according to ESPN college football analyst Paul Finebaum, there are at least three other head coaches in the Southeastern Conference that are also on the hot seat.
On his radio show, “The Paul Finebaum Show” earlier this week, the SEC expert was asked to name some head coaches in the conference that were on the hot seat in 2025.
“You know I’m not going to sit here and impune the good name of an SEC coach who might be in trouble,” Finebaum said in a jesting manner. “I am not going to tell you that Hugh Freeze better win next year. I’m not going to tell you that Mark Stoops better win next year, Brent Venables or Brian Kelly.”
Auburn’s Freeze, Kentucky’s Stoops and LSU’s Kelly are similarly facing big seasons at their respective schools, but maybe no one’s seat is hotter than Venables’ is at Oklahoma.
He’s hoping that a new-look offense will be able to elevate the program alongside a defense that has quite a few returners to be excited about.
But 2025 is all about Venables proving that he can be a head coach at a program as prestigious as OU. It’s about him proving he can manage a game and an entire program with a very high level of success, not just improve the defensive side of the ball. If he can’t do it, his buyout at the conclusion of the 2025 season is reportedly $35 million, down from nearly $45 million in 2024.
In three full seasons in charge of the Sooners, Venables is 22-17 overall, 12-14 in conference play, and 0-3 in bowl games. He also holds a 5-9 record in one-score games, and has five losses of 20+ points.
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