Mason Young

Tulsa World OU Sports Reporter

When Ben Arbuckle looks across the field during situational drills in practice, he can tell Brent Venables is “living in that moment.”

The passion flowing from Oklahoma’s head coach sparks something in its 29-year-old offensive coordinator. It makes Arbuckle want to “bring it” like Venables does and get his players to feed off of it.

The transition from longtime successful defensive coordinator to head coach hasn’t been easy for the 54-year-old Venables. He’s 21-17 in three seasons as OU’s head man and enters the 2025 campaign firmly on the hot seat.

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But he and others will attest that his intensity and effort have not been cowed by the on-field struggles in tw

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