Oklahoma Football The program is gearing up for the 2024 event. It’s the first game in the fiercely competitive SEC, and there’s no shortage of epic matchups this season, including tough road games against Auburn, Ole Miss and Missouri, tough home matches against Alabama, Tennessee and South Carolina, and the iconic Red River Rivalry matchup against Texas. With the team making the transition from the Big 12 to the SEC, the absence of former head coach Lincoln Riley continues to be a hot topic, even two years after he moved to the USC Trojans.
Riley’s transfer from Oklahoma to USC in 2022, which many assumed was a response to Oklahoma’s move to the SEC, had a major impact on the team, as the transfer also saw the departure of superstar quarterback Caleb Williams. Oklahoma Sooners athletic director Joe Castiglione is still struggling with Riley’s departure, as evidenced by his recent comments on the SEC Network’s SEC Now.
Oklahoma football AD Joe Castiglione criticizes former Sooners head coach Lincoln Riley
Oklahoma football’s long-awaited bid to advance to the SEC continues to grow as the team enters the final month of the offseason. SEC Network visited Norman earlier this week and spoke with Oklahoma AD Joe Castiglione. The 77-year-old Castiglione didn’t shy away from talking about former head coach Lincoln Riley when discussing the team’s hopes of advancing to arguably the most talent-rich conference in football.
“Frankly, every coaching staff that we talked to was excited, and the ones that weren’t are not here anymore,” Castiglione said in an interview with SEC Network. He continued, “This is Oklahoma. Take it or leave it.”
Multiple sources, including Fox Sports Radio, suggested Riley’s departure from Oklahoma was a direct result of the school’s rush to the more competitive and lucrative SEC. Shortly after Castiglione alluded to rumors that Riley was looking for a coaching position elsewhere, the bench boss left to fill the vacant head coaching position at USC.
Brent Venables: Leading Oklahoma football into the SEC
Following the departure of Lincoln Riley, the Oklahoma football program hired defensive-minded Brent Venables to lead the Sooners. Venables served as Clemson’s defensive coordinator from 2012-2021, helping the Tigers win two titles during that time. Venables struggled in his first season with the Sooners, finishing with a 6-7 record, their worst winning percentage since 1998. But OU bounced back quickly, posting double-digit wins in 2023 and earning a berth in the Alamo Bowl.
More importantly, Oklahoma has made great strides defensively. Led by defensive stars Danny Stutzman and Billy Bowman, the Sooners have allowed just 23.5 points per game, 49th-best in the country, and allowed 41.7 points per game, fourth-highest in the country. After two years under center Dillon Gabriel, a transfer from UCF, Oklahoma will turn to former five-star prospect Jackson Arnold next fall. Arnold started in last year’s Alamo Bowl after Gabriel’s transfer, completing 26 of 45 passes for 361 yards and two scores. But he had three interceptions in the loss.
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