He was the highest-paid assistant coach in college football and received a contract extension prior to this season that took him to $2.5 million annually.
Cincinnati's Luke Fickell was another coach Oklahoma had interest in, but the timing didn't work out for Fickell, whose Bearcats won the AAC championship game Saturday and are headed to the College Football Playoff.For the third straight time, Oklahoma went the assistant route in hiring its head coach.
Tim Bourret, Clemson's former football communications director who has been a part of Clemson athletics for more than 40 years, tweeted: "Brent Venables has been the most significant assistant coach in any sport in Clemson athletics history."