Venables leaving Clemson to become head coach at Oklahoma

Dec 5, 2021 8:41 PM EST

Cam Gaskins, Mike Gillespie,

CLEMSON, S.C. — For the first time in 10 seasons, the Clemson Tigers will be searching for a new defensive coordinator.

Brent Venables is set to become the next head coach at Oklahoma, according to a release by the school Sunday night.

Venables spent 13 seasons as the defensive coordinator for the Sooners before leaving to join Clemson in 2012. Now he’s returning to his former school to replace Lincoln Riley, who left the Sooners to take the head coaching job at Southern California.

Clemson’s defense became one of the top units in the nation under Venables’ tenure. The Tigers ranked first in total defense in 2014, and led the nation in scoring defense in 2018. Clemson was second in the nation in scoring defense this season.

Venables earned the Broyles Award in 2016 as the top assistant coach in the nation.