How do former OU football players feel about Brent Venables? 'He’s just a hell of a coach'

NORMAN — Count Antonio Perkins among the large group of former OU players hoping Brent Venables is ultimately hired as the Sooners’ coach.

“I love the possibility,” Perkins said. “Coach Venables always brought toughness to our team. He was someone we trusted.”

“He’s young, he’s hungry, tenacious — he’s just a hell of a coach.”

Perkins was a cornerback and punt returner for the Sooners from 2000-04, earning consensus All-America honors as a return specialist in 2003.

There’s been plenty of buzz around Venables since Lincoln Riley’s sudden departure to USC last Sunday.

He was an original part of Bob Stoops’ staff at OU, teaming with co-defensive coordinator Mike Stoops to build the Sooners’ defense that was regularly among the best in college football in the early 2000s.

When Mike Stoops left to become the head coach at Arizona after the 2003 season, Venables took over as the lone defensive coordinator and associate head coach, as well as continuing to coach the linebackers from 2004-11.

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Shortly after Mike Stoops’ return to the staff, Venables left to take over Clemson’s defense.

He quickly helped turn around the Tigers’ defense, helping them make a leap into becoming one of college football’s elite programs.

Clemson has won 10 or more games in each of Venables’ first nine seasons. A bowl win this season would extend that streak to 10.

The Tigers have won two national championships and played in two more title games.

In 2016, he was named the Broyles Award winner as college football’s top assistant.

Clemson has led the Atlantic Coast Conference in total defense in five of the past six seasons, including this season where they entered Saturday’s action No. 9 nationally, allowing 308.4 yards per game. The Tigers’ are No. 2 nationally in scoring defense, allowing just 15 points per game.

Perkins expected Venables to be a head coach long before now.

“He’s a great motivator,” Perkins said. “He’s a great leader. There’s no question to myself that he’s one of the guys that fit this program. He’s actually been here and he’s had the history. He knows what football is about.”

Plenty of former Sooners have put themselves in Venables’ corner this week, either privately or publicly.

Tony Jefferson and Aaron Colvin, two other prominent former OU defensive backs, have expressed their desire for Venables to get the job.

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“We want Venables @OU_Football make it happen let’s go #boomer,” Jefferson posted on Twitter on Monday, the day after Riley’s departure.

Colvin didn’t even wait that long, taking to Twitter less than two hours after news broke that Riley was leaving.

“Let’s go get coach V and get back to the basics!,” Colvin tweeted.

Perkins said Venables would bring together not only the former players, but also the current roster.

“He was a players’ coach,” Perkins said. “Everyone on the defensive side, we always had the utmost respect for him. We always went to him for advice, whether it’s secondary, linebackers, defensive line — everyone always gravitated toward Coach V.”

Perkins, who’s now a pharmaceutical rep, has heard plenty of buzz about who the Sooners will hire.

His vote is definitely with Venables.

“He’s a committed guy,” Perkins said. “He’s won a championship here, building a great, championship defense. I would love to see him win a championship here as a head coach.

“And I know he could get the recruits here, he could build a program here and he could continue the excellence that Oklahoma football is known for. He was part of the excellence in the early 2000s and he had another step of excellence at Clemson, so now he’s at the point where he could dominate as a head coach as well.”

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OU football coaching search: Former players back Brent Venables