Every Sooners fan in America was shocked when Cale Gundy suddenly resigned last Sunday night. Gundy had been on the Sooners’ coaching staff since 1999 and played quarterback in Norman from 1990-93.
Brent Venables had no choice but to accept Gundy’s resignation.
Ever since he landed in Norman, Venables has preached accountability. How is he supposed to expect the players to be accountable and accept responsibilty if his own staff can’t do the same?
Sooners fans can’t have it both ways. They’ve been praising Venables’ methods. They want this program to be accountable. This is what accountability looks like.
Gundy to resigned with dignity. In both statements, Venables reiterated that Gundy made the right decision.
Head coaches need to make difficult decisions. While it was a difficult one to make, this is a choice that was for the good of the program.
Speaking with Tyler McComas and Teddy Lehman on his weekly visit with The Rush on 94.7 The Ref in Norman, Bob Stoops was asked for his thoughts on the situation and how Brent Venables handled it.
“It’s hard to talk about, really,” Stoops sharing how he felt about Gundy’s resignation and what came out in the aftermath. “I’m just really torn apart. It hurts. It’s tough. Our whole close-knit football family. It’s just an unfortunate and terrible situation, but you have to try to move forward.”
Early in his tenure, Brent Venables was faced with a situation that few first-year coaches find themselves in. But Stoops believes he has the experience and acquired wisdom of his coaching career gives him the ability to work though situations like these.
“He may be a first-year coach, but that guy has been around for over 25 years and with three Hall of Fame coaches between (Bill) Snyder, myself and Dabo Swinney,” Stoops said. “He knows what kind of program he wants and the culture he wants and you got to trust him with that.
“On the player’s behalf, he sure as hell isn’t the first player and I guarantee you … he won’t be the last player not paying attention in a meeting room. It’s our job as coaches and as professionals, in a positive way, to help those players improve in that room.”
As Jenni Carlson from The Oklahoman put it, “This decision couldn’t have been easy, not for Gundy, not for Venables, not for any Sooner. But if your program is built on doing things the right way all the time, there is little wiggle room. That standard doesn’t get thrown out when the situation involves an assistant. It doesn’t cease to exist in a behind-closed-doors film session.”
What Venables did was consistent with what he was said he was going to do. No one man is bigger than the team. By the time the season starts, this situation will be an afterthought.
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