SEC media days provides our first opportunity to hear what SEC coaches think about the Oklahoma Sooners entering the SEC. After Greg Sankey addressed the media, LSU Tigers head coach Brian Kelly took to the podium.
When asked about the Oklahoma Sooners and head coach Brent Venables, count Kelly impressed.
“I think what I was really impressed with Coach Venables’ job, just the bounceback and the ability to overcome some adversity,” Kelly said during SEC media days. “Certainly as a first-time head coach, you know, having some adversity and really learning on the job and coming back and having an outstanding season this past season.”
It was undoubtedly a rough start to the Venables era, with a 6-7 season and a 49-0 loss to their rivals. But Venables and the Sooners showed resilience, turning in a 10-3 season in 2023 and beating the Texas Longhorns 34-30.
Kelly hasn’t had a lot of adversity in his career, winning double-digit games in 20 seasons as a head coach. But his first season as a head coach at Central Michigan didn’t go according to plan. The Chippewas finished 4-7 that year and followed it up with a 6-5 campaign in year two. He’s had just one losing season since, a 4-8 mark in 2016 with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. So, Kelly knows what it takes to overcome adversity.
And Venables and the Sooners do too. Despite their unfortunate 2022 and the way the Alamo Bowl went at the end of 2023, there’s a lot of confidence in a program that’s had as much success as anyone in the history of college football. And Kelly’s very aware of the proud tradition at Oklahoma.
“I just think they’re another outstanding football team with a great history and tradition,” Kelly said. “I got the privilege of playing them few times when I was at Notre Dame, and it’s a great atmosphere. I played them when I was at Cincinnati. So I think it’s just a great tradition, great program, and I think coach has done a great job of really, I think on the job really adjusting to being the head guy, and I think he’s done a terrific job.”
Venables has adjusted. He learned from some of the things that didn’t go Oklahoma’s way in year one to show a much more capable head coach in 2023.
And if that growth continues in 2024, the Sooners have a shot to be successful in their first year in the SEC.
Oklahoma and LSU will come together in Baton Rouge, Lousiana to close out the Sooners first regular season in the SEC. And if everything goes according to plan, that big-time matchup could have SEC title game and College Football Playoff implications.
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