Paul Finebaum Drops Clue About Star Coach's Possible Firing After Tough Season

The 2025 college football campaign brings substantial stress for leading coaches. A lackluster performance might push them to look for different opportunities.

A coach under scrutiny is Brent Venables, the leader of the Oklahoma Sooners, as he begins his fourth year at the helm. Nevertheless, during two of his initial three seasons, Venables' squad finished with negative records, an outcome that had not been seen in over two decades prior to his arrival.

The Oklahoma team finished with a record of 6 wins and 7 losses during the previous season; nevertheless, there is hope for this upcoming campaign since they've brought in ex-Washington State Cougars quarterback John Mateer and ex-California Golden Bears runner Jaydn Ott onto their team.

In the previous season, Mateer passed for 3,139 yards, completed 29 touchdown passes, and recorded just seven turnovers, while also gaining 826 yards on the ground and tallying 15 rushing touchdowns. Despite facing injury issues throughout the 2024 campaign, Ott delivered a strong showing in 2023, accumulating 1,315 rushing yards and scoring 12 touchdowns.

On "The Paul Finebaum Show," SEC Network commentator Paul Finebaum mentioned that the Sooners must begin the season with a 5-0 streak prior to playing against Texas in the Cotton Bowl. After this match, he expects them to suffer a defeat at the hands of Texas and subsequently require a 4-2 final record for the year. Should they fail to achieve this, he might find himself seeking alternative employment.

If they manage to win most of those games, except perhaps two, I believe Brent Venables could end up with an impressive record and probably stay in his position for some time," Finebaum stated. "If not, then you already know what the response would be.

If the Sooners choose to terminate Venables' contract, they will face a significant financial cost. Venables has a buyout clause of $34.9 million after this season. This rumor from Finebaum comes only one year after Venables signed an agreement. significant contract extension .

After the 2023 season, Venables agreed to a six-year agreement, which was endorsed by the Oklahoma Board of Regents in June 2024. This arrangement ensures he will receive an annual income exceeding $8.5 million throughout the term of the contract.

He initially entered into a six-year agreement worth $43.5 million with the Sooners in December 2021. Venables' deal is entirely secure, and following this season, his termination fee will be reduced by approximately $10 million annually throughout the remainder of the contract.

The Sooners remain optimistic that Venables' squad will recover this season, preventing the necessity of looking for a new head coach during the next off-season. Oklahoma is set to begin their campaign at 6:00 PM Eastern Time on August 30 when they face the Illinois State Redbirds.

Associated: Paul Finebaum Identifies a Well-Known College Football Coach Who Is Losing Momentum