Brent Venables

[FANONTHEHILL]

Can he recruit Texas? That's all I need to know.......

He filled OU's roster with East Texas talent and has a solid relationships with Texs HS coaches. That's as big of a selling point as any.

[parallaxpig]

He filled OU's roster with East Texas talent and has a solid relationships with Texs HS coaches. That's as big of a selling point as any.

If you look at any of my post you will see I have stated many times next coach has to have ability to recruit Texas. I think that's actually the most important aspect of next coach. That's been our history here and you only have to look over to Stillwater to see that strategy still works.........

[FANONTHEHILL]

If you look at any of my post you will see I have stated many times next coach has to have ability to recruit Texas. I think that's actually the most important aspect of next coach. That's been our history here and you only have to look over to Stillwater to see that strategy still works.........

Absolutely correct.

[onebadrubi]

If you look at any of my post you will see I have stated many times next coach has to have ability to recruit Texas. I think that's actually the most important aspect of next coach. That's been our history here and you only have to look over to Stillwater to see that strategy still works.........

I'm confused?  What is working in Stillwater?  They lost to anyone with a defense, gundy woukd t win 6-7 in the SEC W. 

I'm a venables supporter however

[HognotinMemphis]

Brent Venables needs to be at he top of the list. Arkansas has needed a new identity on Defense for a decade. Venables can provide the smash mouth defense we need. He has successfully ran defenses that have beaten teams like Texas, Auburn, South Carolina and Alabama. He has studied unet Snyder, Stoops and Dabo. The coaching pedigree is off the charts and he recruits in the south and Texas. This would be a game changer.

I think Venables is the most likely to take the job. Why? Because all of the other names being bandied about either will not be offered or will go elsewhere that they perceive is better opportunity that is Arkansas for them.

Forget about getting Leach, Malzahn, Morris, Norvell, Kiffin, or Patterson. We are still Arkansas and we have been a dumpster fire for 6 consecutive years.

Regarding Malzahn, the only way to even have a chance at getting him would be a 10 year contract for $10 million per year? Does anybody think Arkansas would do that, even if they could afford to? I do not.

Venables will likely be the next head coach. We need a defensive oriented head coach anyway. Even if we continue to lose in the SEC, maybe we will not continue to experience 56-3 embarrassments and being outscored in the 2nd half 2,000 to 20 over the entire season.

[Hugo Bezdek]

I think Venables is the most likely to take the job. Why? Because all of the other names being bandied about either will not be offered or will go elsewhere that they perceive is better opportunity that is Arkansas for them.

Forget about getting Leach, Malzahn, Morris, Norvell, Kiffin, or Patterson. We are still Arkansas and we have been a dumpster fire for 6 consecutive years.

Regarding Malzahn, the only way to even have a chance at getting him would be a 10 year contract for $10 million per year? Does anybody think Arkansas would do that, even if they could afford to? I do not.

Venables will likely be the next head coach. We need a defensive oriented head coach anyway. Even if we continue to lose in the SEC, maybe we will not continue to experience 56-3 embarrassments and being outscored in the 2nd half 2,000 to 20 over the entire season.

I don't care if he's our first choice but would be thrilled if he were our final one. I like Venables better than just about everyone that's been mentioned. It bothers me that we're not hearing his name from our "insiders" on the board here.

[FANONTHEHILL]

I don't care if he's our first choice but would be thrilled if he were our final one. I like Venables better than just about everyone that's been mentioned. It bothers me that we're not hearing his name from our "insiders" on the board here.

Take comfort in the fact that the insiders haven't been right about a hire for years.

[TebowHater]

For anyone whose only concern is his lack of HC experience, please see this thread:

http://www.hogville.net/yabbse/index.php?topic=649079.0

It should not be a worry.

[HognotinMemphis]

As for insider knowledge, did anyone tell you Bielema was going to be hired before it was announced 6 years ago?

[farmhawg]

Last time I will say this and probably get blasted......but we don't need a defensive coach. We need an offensive genius,only way we can win big here.

[Hugo Bezdek]

As for insider knowledge, did anyone tell you Bielema was going to be hired before it was announced 6 years ago?

Lol. No, that was Gruden.

[onebadrubi]

Last time I will say this and probably get blasted......but we don't need a defensive coach. We need an offensive genius,only way we can win big here.

Please name the last offensive genius that won with out a top defense

[nwahogs]

Please name the last offensive genius that won with out a top defense

Mike martz

[parallaxpig]

I'm confused?  What is working in Stillwater?  They lost to anyone with a defense, gundy woukd t win 6-7 in the SEC W. 

I'm a venables supporter however

They have won 10 games 3 out 5 years. If that isn't good enough for you then I can't help you.

[DOGALUM]

Venables would be a home run hire IMO. 

[Gonzo]

Last time I will say this and probably get blasted......but we don’t need a defensive coach. We need an offensive genius,only way we can win big here.

What's the difference between a good HC who is from the defensive side and hires a good OC, and a good HC from the offensive side who hires a good DC? None really imo. A team is going to need good leadership on both sides to be successful in the SEC.

Go Hogs!

[a0ashle]

Venables would be a home run hire IMO.

If we get him, I'll eat my crow and love every bite.

[GoldCoastHog]

Would love for him to get some traction. Someone is going to pull the trigger on him, because it's his time; he's ready.
Not sure what arrangements could be made with him and his obligations during the playoffs with regard to the new recruiting period, but I have a feeling something  could be cobbled together.

[ChicoHog]

Last time I will say this and probably get blasted......but we don't need a defensive coach. We need an offensive genius,only way we can win big here.

Wrong.  If it's a defensive coach like Venables he will hire a good OC.  It's an offensive coach like Norvell or Kiffin he will hire a good DC.  More importantly it's about getting good players here and I think all 3 of those guys can recruit and bring us the talent we need to be competitive every week. 

[bulldog04]

I guess this guy is hearing stuff
https://twitter.com/nacholeber/status/934918868392390656

[oldhawg]

As for insider knowledge, did anyone tell you Bielema was going to be hired before it was announced 6 years ago?

Seems like I recall one poster, can't remember who, that offered Bielema's name a few days before it was announced.  Everyone politely ignored the post.  Probably was just a shot in the dark anyway.

[Muskliketusk]

He filled OU's roster with East Texas talent and has a solid relationships with Texs HS coaches. That's as big of a selling point as any.

Unless Dallas is East Texas he sure wasn't getting much East Texas talent to OU so that ain't true and there ain't one defensive player from TX at Clemson so he just gonna kill it in a state he ain't recruited in 6 years. Some of y'all love making crap up. Can't wait to hear about the great defenses he had at OU when they ran him out of town for being awful his last few years there.

[hawginbigd1]

Unless Dallas is East Texas he sure wasn't getting much East Texas talent to OU so that ain't true and there ain't one defensive player from TX at Clemson so he just gonna kill it in a state he ain't recruited in 6 years. Some of y'all love making crap up. Can't wait to hear about the great defenses he had at OU when they ran him out of town for being awful his last few years there.

Well Dallas sure isn't West Texas just saying

[FANONTHEHILL]

Unless Dallas is East Texas he sure wasn't getting much East Texas talent to OU so that ain't true and there ain't one defensive player from TX at Clemson so he just gonna kill it in a state he ain't recruited in 6 years. Some of y'all love making crap up. Can't wait to hear about the great defenses he had at OU when they ran him out of town for being awful his last few years there.

Geography much?  He hasn't raided Texas since he's been at Clemson because he didn't need to.  The coaches in the Metroplex and Houston area have great relationships with him.  For your information East is on the right side of the map. His last four years at OU the Sooners were 10-3, 8-5, 12-2, and 12-2.  He left OU because he didn't want to be a co-coordinator with Stoop's brother again.  If you say they ran him off then you're the one who is making things up.

[Broadway Rob]

Seems like I recall one poster, can't remember who, that offered Bielema's name a few days before it was announced.  Everyone politely ignored the post.  Probably was just a shot in the dark anyway.

If memory serves, the post went something like "Go get Bielema from Wisconsin".  It was a suggestion and not an insider leak.

[BigK_HogHeaven]

Wrong.  If it's a defensive coach like Venables he will hire a good OC.  It's an offensive coach like Norvell or Kiffin he will hire a good DC.  More importantly it's about getting good players here and I think all 3 of those guys can recruit and bring us the talent we need to be competitive every week.

In defense of FarmHog, we just had a "defensive" coach.  It's hard to believe, but BB's background is defense.

That said, I don't think it really matters if we have a defensive guy or an offensive guy. As long as they can recruit and know how to coach. I'd be pumped if we hired BV

[Torqued pork]

Personally, I've gotten very tired of seeing every quality opponent we play go through our defense like paper. Maybe all of the people who say we can't recruit well enough to have a good defense and prefer a gunslinger for a HC are correct, but I just can't see us winning much more than we've been winning without a quality defense. This puts Venables near if not on top of my list.

[Dominicanhog]

From the start, I thought we needed a defensive minded coach, but not sure one without HC experience is right for us.. ....that said, I'd buy in immediately after the announcement....

[a0ashle]

From the start, I thought we needed a defensive minded coach, but not sure one without HC experience is right for us.. ....that said, I'd buy in immediately after the announcement....

He's been a DC for two championship head coaches, that has to count for something. I think he's a better gamble then Kirby Smart was...

[mitchforheisman]

His record as DC at Oklahoma and Clemson is 199-44. I'm on board.

[Hugo Bezdek]

His record as DC at Oklahoma and Clemson is 199-44. I'm on board.

That includes wins over Saban, Malzahn, and Fisher, the guys we need to beat to win the SEC.

[SONofHAM]

https://twitter.com/barrettsallee/status/934879088044539904

Sallee sees Brent as a front runner

[jgphillips3]

If we go coordinator, I think Venables may be the best DC to head coach candidate since Bob Stoops went to Oklahoma.  I wouldn't lose one minute of sleep over that hire because I think he could recruit anybody, anywhere, any time and bump us from mid-twenties recruiting to the teens within a year or two and, if he got an innovative, but compatible, OC then we may be on our way.

[d3maybe]

If we go coordinator, I think Venables may be the best DC to head coach candidate since Bob Stoops went to Oklahoma.  I wouldn't lose one minute of sleep over that hire because I think he could recruit anybody, anywhere, any time and bump us from mid-twenties recruiting to the teens within a year or two and, if he got an innovative, but compatible, OC then we may be on our way.

Couldn't agree more, but I'm a bit nervous he would want to coach out the remainder of the season with Clemson... If we get a signed contract with that stipulation could that work? I'm afraid that would be difficult, although I really would love Coach V as the Head Hog, I think he fits perfect.

[Pig in the Pokey]

Wrong.  If it's a defensive coach like Venables he will hire a good OC.  It's an offensive coach like Norvell or Kiffin he will hire a good DC.  More importantly it's about getting good players here and I think all 3 of those guys can recruit and bring us the talent we need to be competitive every week.

I'd actually say there are far more good OCs than good DCs out there.

[Pig in the Pokey]

https://twitter.com/barrettsallee/status/934879088044539904

Sallee sees Brent as a front runner

well, I guess we dont even have to make up a new nickname if things go bad. It'll be Bert2.0

[hogsanity]

Personally, I've gotten very tired of seeing every quality opponent we play go through our defense like paper. Maybe all of the people who say we can't recruit well enough to have a good defense and prefer a gunslinger for a HC are correct, but I just can't see us winning much more than we've been winning without a quality defense. This puts Venables near if not on top of my list.

Last Fri was a perfect example. At no point in that game did I think the Hogs were going to be able to stop Mizzu from scoring enough to win, no matter what that total ended up being.

We do not need a defensive minded coach, we need a coach that can recruit defenders SEC QUALITY defenders. Just like they need to be able to recruit SEC QUALITY offensive players. It does not matter who they get to coach, if they can not figure out how to get SEC talent AND depth of talent, the program will continue to be what it has been in the sec for 26 years. A program that has to have it all fall just right to even have a chance to win the secw.

[Pig in the Pokey]

If we go coordinator, I think Venables may be the best DC to head coach candidate since Bob Stoops went to Oklahoma.  I wouldn't lose one minute of sleep over that hire because I think he could recruit anybody, anywhere, any time and bump us from mid-twenties recruiting to the teens within a year or two and, if he got an innovative, but compatible, OC then we may be on our way.

true. BV and LK are the best recruiters on our list.

[d3maybe]

Last Fri was a perfect example. At no point in that game did I think the Hogs were going to be able to stop Mizzu from scoring enough to win, no matter what that total ended up being.

We do not need a defensive minded coach, we need a coach that can recruit defenders SEC QUALITY defenders. Just like they need to be able to recruit SEC QUALITY offensive players. It does not matter who they get to coach, if they can not figure out how to get SEC talent AND depth of talent, the program will continue to be what it has been in the sec for 26 years. A program that has to have it all fall just right to even have a chance to win the secw.

We don't need a defensive minded coach but he needs to be able to recruit great defenders??? Huh?

[Brass Knob]

Wrong.  If it's a defensive coach like Venables he will hire a good OC.  It's an offensive coach like Norvell or Kiffin he will hire a good DC.  More importantly it's about getting good players here and I think all 3 of those guys can recruit and bring us the talent we need to be competitive every week. 

But Arkansas will never consistently recruit to likes of Alabama and LSU. We will basically never out talent those schools. Thus, you have to have coaches that can develop schemes to beat the more talented team. It just seems easier to create offensive schemes and score points with less talent than it does to create defensive schemes that stop points with less talent.

I would feel much better going into a game with a great offense and sub par defense knowing we need 35+ points to win than going into a game with a great defense and sub par offense knowing we need to hold the other team to sub 20 points.

The offensive approach at Arkansas seems more piratical and more achievable.

I look at a team like Michigan paying a ton to Harbaugh (sp?) who is a defense oriented coach but has almost no offense. If they give up 21+ in any given game they are in trouble...   

[a0ashle]

I know CBB was a defensive guy as a DC and player, but as a head coach he was known for the style of offense he brought to the table... I don't buy the "CBB was a defensive coach so we need an offensive coach" chatter

[HogFaninMemphis]

I love the idea of Venables. Would retaining Enos be insane? He's not a Bielema guy, and I actually did like his offenses, just not the offensive line play.
Perhaps we could retain him, get an offensive line coach who would be on the same page with him, and maybe find an all-star offensive recruiter. I don't have much worry about Venables fielding a defensive staff, because that's his thing.
Thoughts?

[a0ashle]

But Arkansas will never consistently recruit to likes of Alabama and LSU. We will basically never out talent those schools. Thus, you have to have coaches that can develop schemes to beat the more talented team. It just seems easier to create offensive schemes and score points with less talent than it does to create defensive schemes that stop points with less talent.

I would feel much better going into a game with a great offense and sub par defense knowing we need 35+ points to win than going into a game with a great defense and sub par offense knowing we need to hold the other team to sub 20 points.

The offensive approach at Arkansas seems more piratical and more achievable.

I look at a team like Michigan paying a ton to Harbaugh (sp?) who is a defense oriented coach but has almost no offense. If they give up 21+ in any given game they are in trouble... 

Venables has coached great defense with high flying offenses. OCs who can coach the spread are a dime a dozen now.

A coach who can have a good defense with a spread offense is rare.

[hogsanity]

We don't need a defensive minded coach but he needs to be able to recruit great defenders??? Huh?

My point is regardless of what the coach is seen as ( defensive/offensive ) the key to their success is going to be how well they can recruit to both sides of the ball. IF Venables were the coach, and he recruited a monster defense, but only soso on offense, he is still going to plateau here at about 8 wins on average.

[a0ashle]

Going after Venables isn't going after a 10-3 game imo, it's avoiding 54-53 games.

[hogsanity]

But Arkansas will never consistently recruit to likes of Alabama and LSU. We will basically never out talent those schools. Thus, you have to have coaches that can develop schemes to beat the more talented team. It just seems easier to create offensive schemes and score points with less talent than it does to create defensive schemes that stop points with less talent.

I would feel much better going into a game with a great offense and sub par defense knowing we need 35+ points to win than going into a game with a great defense and sub par offense knowing we need to hold the other team to sub 20 points.

The offensive approach at Arkansas seems more piratical and more achievable.

I look at a team like Michigan paying a ton to Harbaugh (sp?) who is a defense oriented coach but has almost no offense. If they give up 21+ in any given game they are in trouble...   

Arkansas just lost a game where it scored 45 pts. They lost a game in 2015 where they scored 50. IF your defense is like a sieve you can never score enough points.

This idea that you can scheme around a lack of talent is ludicrous. Maybe for one game, maybe even for 2, but eventually people see what you are doing and the teams with better players figure out how to stop you.

[Brass Knob]

Venables has coached great defense with high flying offenses. OCs who can coach the spread are a dime a dozen now.

A coach who can have a good defense with a spread offense is rare.

Venebles has nothing to do with that offense though... He is not the head coach managing both. He is absolutely a great defensive coach but I have no reason to believe he has the ability to bring a great defense and a great spread offense with him.

Again, my issue is simply recruiting talent. I do not believe Arkansas can get the defensive recruits necessary to consistently be a great defensive team, no matter who the coach is. It is easier to fit lesser recruits into a high flying offense than it is to fit lesser recruits into a great defense. That is the only reason I tend to lean toward an offense oriented coach as opposed to a defense oriented coach.

[Brass Knob]

Arkansas just lost a game where it scored 45 pts. They lost a game in 2015 where they scored 50. IF your defense is like a sieve you can never score enough points.

This idea that you can scheme around a lack of talent is ludicrous. Maybe for one game, maybe even for 2, but eventually people see what you are doing and the teams with better players figure out how to stop you.

I would not point to this years team as an example of anything... It is not about just giving up on defense completely. It is simply which can be more consistent at Arkansas, a great offense or a great defense? I believe that is a great offense because of our recruiting handicap. It is easier to plug lower ranked recruits into an offensive scheme than a defensive scheme.

[The Hawg Marshal]

If we go the coordinator route, he's the guy.

[hogsanity]

I would not point to this years team as an example of anything... It is not about just giving up on defense completely. It is simply which can be more consistent at Arkansas, a great offense or a great defense? I believe that is a great offense because of our recruiting handicap. It is easier to plug lower ranked recruits into an offensive scheme than a defensive scheme.

It is still going to result in 7 or 8 wins a year on average. As someone pointed out Arkansas is not likely to ever recruit on a level with LSU/A&M/Bama/Aub so 4 teams a year that they have to play are going to get better players every year. They will have better starters and much deeper reserves than will the Hogs.