If you’re a skeptic about Oklahoma’s eventual move to the Southeastern Conference, one big reason is because of money and salaries.

The money the SEC schools will pony up, and the money that some feel OU will never be OK in giving out.

Because for the Sooners to have success, especially in football, they’re going to have to pay their assistants. And they’re going to have to expand the support staff.

Sounds like OU is doing just that. The contracts for all the football coaches and for the head coaches in basketball were approved by the Board of Regents on Wednesday afternoon. It’s a significant increase all the way around.

“Whether it was our current staff or the new people we were hiring, expanding the support staff we knew was going to be an item we wanted to address and had a plan in place to do that,” athletic director Joe Castiglione said. “Then hiring a new head coach and a lot of new staff members basically gave us the window that we were looking to open anyway to do what he had planned all along.”

First-time head coach Brent Venables agreed to a six-year deal worth $7 million per year, with $100K added to the salary every February.

It wasn’t just Venables, though. OU’s two coordinators will be making more than $1 million per year as well. Offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby will start at $1.8 million and make $100K more each February, eventually making $2 million in the final year of his three-year contract.

Defensive coordinator Ted Roof has a three-year deal that begins at making $1.1 million per year and adding $50K every February.

“I feel very good about our ability to hire great people, compensate them in line with the market, and most importantly, invest in our success,” Castiglione said. “That’s always been a part of our blueprint. Investing in our people and their ability to be successful.

“And then obviously in positions like they have, are you directly involved in motivating, teaching, mentoring, attracting the best and the brightest student-athletes? That’s the ultimate priority. That’s the key to it all. The underpinnings for supporting their success is the way that we make things happen at Oklahoma.”

Here is the full breakdown of the OU football staff and their contracts. The biggest raise for the offensive assistants that have been retained by Venables is for running backs coach DeMarco Murray.

Murray’s two-year deal now has him making $400K per year, an increase of $50K.

Head coach Brent Venables – Six years, $7 million that will increase by $100K each February

Offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby – Three years, $1.8 million per year that will increase by $100K each February, going to $1.9 million and $2 million

Running backs coach DeMarco Murray – Two years, $400K per year ($50K raise).

Wide receivers coach Cale Gundy – Two years, $610K per year ($10K raise).

Tight ends coach Joe Jon Finley – No extension (thru 2024), $520K per year ($10K raise)

Offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh – Two years, $820K per year ($10K raise).

Defensive coordinator Ted Roof – Three years, $1.1 million that will increase by $50K each February.

Defensive tackles coach Todd Bates – Three years, $440K to $665K to $715K in second and third years.

Defensive ends coach Miguel Chavis – Two years, $600K per year.

Cornerbacks coach Jay Valai – Two years, $610K to $700K in second year.

Safeties coach Brandon Hall – Two years, $300K per year.

Jerry Schmidt – Two years, $650K per year.

Thad Turnipseed – Two years, $350K per year.

Included in that is also the contract for Schmidt as the director of sports enhancement and strength and conditioning. And Turnipseed, who has been hired as the executive director of football administration.

The support staff, obviously, has been a major point of emphasis for Venables. It has led to the creation of the SOUL Mission, featuring former players serving a multitude of roles for current players and for the program.

Castiglione is all-in with the group and SOUL Mission’s goals and objectives.

“We talked a lot about his vision… those are the kinds of ideas you talk about because you want to hear what a coach wants to create in terms of culture and tactical and recruiting and scheduling and facilities and obviously positioning ourselves for success long term,” Castiglione said. “When I heard about the program he wanted to start at Oklahoma and partner with a lot of different areas of student-athlete development we have in place, I was very excited about it and been working very closely with him and the staff as they built the staff for it.

“It wasn’t called the SOUL Mission back then. But the concept was clear. The name they came up with I thought was very clever because it had OU right in the middle of it. which is obviously a great sign for what we are trying to accomplish.”

Ryan Young was approved for a one-year deal at $110K, while Curtis Lofton has a one-year deal for $100K. No salary info was released for Caleb Kelly and Josh Norman, the other members of the SOUL Mission.

Men’s head basketball coach Porter Moser was extended through June 2028, while women’s coach Jennie Baranczyk was extended through June 2027 and given a $50K raise.