Brent Venables' new contract: Oklahoma HC’s Salary structure and more details explored

The Oklahoma Sooners have made a significant move for their college football program as they have agreed to a six-year extension for their coach Brent Venables.

The exact monetary figure has not been made official, as it still requires board approval. But according to ESPN's Pete Thamel, it is expected to be a significant raise in itself.

With the Oklahoma Sooners heading into the Southeastern Conference this season, their football coach is ensured to be with them to navigate the different landscape.

Venables became the coach for the Oklahoma Sooners prior to the 2022 season kicking off and this is his first head coaching job.

Under Brent Venables, the team has gone 16-10 and showcased their abilities last season as the program went 10-3. They were, in fact, as high as the 15th-ranked program in the nation. However, they have gone 0-2 in bowl games after losing the Alamo Bowl last year.

With the experience of being part of Bill Snyder, Bob Stoops, and Dabo Swinney's staff over the years, Venables has shown the ability to do well as a head coach in college football.

However, the SEC is a completely different beast and it will be interesting to see how the team does adapting to the different levels of college football.

What was Brent Venables' original contract with Oklahoma?

While we do not know the monetary value of this extension, looking at what Venables' contract looked prior to the extension can give us an idea of what to expect. Heading into the 2024 college football season, Venables was in the third season of a six-year contract worth $43.5 million.

That means his $7.25 million annual salary is going to skyrocket from where it was originally. Prior to this extension, he was ranked 15th in the nation with his average annual salary (AAV).

Do not be surprised by the announcement of a significant raise to bring him close to where Florida State Seminoles coach Mike Norvell is with a $10 million AAV.

If that is the case, that would make Brent Venables a top-five highest-paid coach in college football.