Josh Pate went on FanDuel Sports Network’s Up & Adams with Kay Adams and didn’t hold back when ranking the scariest coaches in college football. He put Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables in his top five, and the way he described him makes perfect sense.
Pate knows Venables well from years of covering him, and his take was pretty spot on.
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“Anytime I go to Oklahoma, we have sit downs scheduled with him. It’s always scheduled for 10:45 and then at 10:52, he walks in pouring sweat because he’s been running stadium steps in between his office duties and his media duties. The guy can lift, guy can yell. He’s got the veins all over the neck and the forehead when he really gets worked up. I wouldn’t want to be in a dark alley with him.”
Venables is 55 years old and still out there running stadium steps like it’s nothing. He shows up to meetings drenched in sweat with veins popping because he’s been grinding the whole time.
That intensity isn’t fake — it’s who he is.
Pate nailed the intimidation factor. Venables has always been that old-school, no-nonsense coach. He’s not trying to be your buddy. He’s there to push you, coach you hard, and get the absolute best out of you.
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He’s imposing, but it comes from a good place. He wants his players to be tough, physical, and ready for whatever the SEC throws at them.
That mindset has defined his coaching career, whether at Clemson or now at Oklahoma.
The stories about his intensity are legendary. Back at Clemson as defensive coordinator, he’d get so fired up during scout team periods that he’d grab a helmet, go by the name “Jimmy Greenbeans,” and line up at quarterback himself.
He’d crash into future NFL defensive linemen, sometimes coming away bloody or even breaking bones. That’s the kind of coach he is — he competes as hard as anyone on the field.
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On game days, his energy is so high that he used to need a dedicated “get back” coach whose only job was to physically pull him back onto the sideline when he’d start sprinting onto the field in the heat of the moment.
Pate’s comment about not wanting to be in a dark alley with him is funny, but it speaks to the presence Venables has. He’s built like he can still play, he yells with purpose, and when he gets going, you feel it.
That fire translates to his players. They play with an edge because their coach does.
What makes Venables scary for opposing offenses goes beyond the physical stuff. He studies film like a maniac. Players on other teams have said it feels like he’s in their huddle because his defense will call out plays before the snap.
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He constantly changes things up week to week, drawing up new looks on Monday and having his guys ready to execute by Saturday. That’s a nightmare for offensive coordinators.
His defenses are built to be physical, punishing, relentless, and suffocating. He uses all kinds of stunts, blitzes, and pre-snap disguises to mess with quarterbacks and offensive lines. That’s why his units have been so successful wherever he’s gone.
The biggest irony of it all is Venables is ACTUALLY one of the nicest coaches around.
Gone are the finesse Lincoln Riley days, and now the Sooners have someone who brings the intensity every single day.
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Venables has the program headed in the right direction, and that competitive fire he shows is rubbing off on the players. Last year’s playoff appearance was proof that it’s working.
Josh Pate putting Venables in the top five scariest coaches makes total sense. The guy looks the part, acts the part, and coaches the part.
He’s old-school in the best way. As long as he’s bringing that energy, Oklahoma should keep trending upward.
