Venables’ candidacy a mixed bag for Clemson

By Marc Hudgens  |   Wednesday, November 12, 2008  |  Comments( 3 )

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If you had to point out the big orange scuttlebutt at Clemson, look no further than the recent news of athletic director Terry Don Phillips flying to Oklahoma to reportedly meet with Sooner associate head coach and co-defensive coordinator Brent Venables about the former's coaching vacancy.

The Venables-to-Clemson prospect is somewhat of a sexy matchup, but there are some pros and cons with this potential hire.

PROS:

1. Closing in on his 38th birthday on Dec. 18, Venables is a young guy. And youth is the precursor to longevity.

2. He has been Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops’ co-defensive coordinator since he arrived in Norman in 1999. Lots of coordinator experience at a college football powerhouse.

3. His average record combining his stints at Oklahoma and Kansas State is 10-2 each season. Long history of big winning.

4. He has title rings galore. At Oklahoma, he has six Big XII South titles, five Big XII titles and one BCS national championship. Long history of championship success.

5. According to Rivals, Oklahoma is regularly in the nation's top 15 in recruiting. Venables is credited as the primary for a quarter to a third of the commitments in each class. Also, his recruiting inroads in Texas would clearly expand Clemson’s recruiting base into a second talent-rich state.

6. He has developed players into award winners in Rocky Calmus (2001 Butkus winner), Teddy Lehman (2003 Butkus and Bednarik winner) and Lance Mitchell (2004 Butkus finalist) in addition to a slew of Big XII defensive players of the year. Clemson hasn't had an award winner in a long time.

CONS:

1. Oklahoma’s defenses have seriously spiraled downward under his watch. The Sooner ‘D’ has steadily declined since being ranked No. 13 in the nation in 2004 to No. 51 this season after 10 games. Seven ACC teams, including Clemson, have better defenses -- at least statistically -- at this time. To put more perspective on this, Duke’s defense is just behind Oklahoma’s at No. 52. This is Venables’ biggest knock.

2. Not from the Southeast. While that really shouldn’t be an issue because Clemson needs fresh blood badly, it may very well be to the program's brass. Even Phillips himself said he prefers someone who knows the Southeast recruiting landscape. Would he be able to preserve Clemson’s existing inroads, namely Florida, while expanding West?

3. Zero head coaching experience. For once, Clemson might need to pursue a proven head coach with a track record of BCS success instead of going the risky cheap-and-easy route it’s done for decades. But this largely wouldn’t be an issue if Venables’ defenses were actually elite.

4. Venables’ forte is defense, and Clemson needs offensive help in the worst way. If hired, the pressure on Venables to name a top offensive mind for coordinator would be tremendous. He’ll also need to hire a top offensive line coach -- that’s critical.

It seems Venables’ pros barely outweigh his cons. But if your squad is doing terribly, then that’s cause for concern. Does Oklahoma’s mediocre defense automatically mean Venables would be a poor head coach at Clemson? Of course not. But the Sooners’ defensive slide under him has to count for something.

Is Venables truly a quality coach, or has he simply been the beneficiary of Stoops’ powerhouse program with killer offenses? That's the question.
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About Marc Hudgens

Marc Hudgens has been with RealFootball365 since 2007, covering college football, specifically Clemson and Oregon. He also writes for SouthernPigskin.com covering the ACC. He enjoys the acidic wit of Hunter S. Thompson, is a freelance graphic designer and has written several screenplays. He ...
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