After an absolute banger month of July on the recruiting trail, Brent Venables has proven he can do everything as a head coach. Everything that is except win football games. Fear not, that time is coming very soon.
However, inexperience as a head coach is what makes it so difficult to rank Venables among other head coaches. Miami’s new head coach, Mario Cristobal, is a proven entity. Venables has never been the head coach. He is unproven. He’s done everything right since being hired, but we still need to play some football games.
Brad Crawford of 247Sports has ranked the top 25 coaches in college football, and Venables is not among them.
Ranking college football's best head coaches headed into the 2022 season 👀
Who would y'all have higher? 🤔
Full Top 25 ✍️ @BCrawford247 https://t.co/pnmnC55QoY pic.twitter.com/xesol0AnmO
— 247Sports (@247Sports) August 1, 2022
This is a fair list. Putting Venables above anyone on there would be a disservice to what these men have accomplished as head coaches. Despite his stellar resume, Venables hasn’t accomplished anything yet.
That’s the key word: yet.
Where was Lincoln Riley on lists like this right after he took over for Bob Stoops? Not in the top 25.
Where will Venables appear on lists such as these if he leads the Sooners to a Big 12 championship? How about if the Sooners go 11-1 and make the College Football Playoff? The top 10 might be a bit of a stretch (again there are so many great coaches in college football) but would a conference title be enough to jump the Paul Chrysts and P.J. Flecks of the world and into the top 25?
And if the Sooners, say, win the Big 12 this season and next, where would he be?
Experience and results. Those are the two things Venables needs to earn a spot at the table of elite head coaches. The good news is that will not be a talking point for much longer.
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