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Published Jun 9, 2025
Sooners to hire new head football trainer
Jesse Crittenden  •  OUInsider
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Oklahoma has made another significant move as it reshapes its football program.

The Sooners are planning to hire Jonathan Gress as the new head athletics trainer for the football program, sources confirmed to OUInsider. Gress has been the director of rehabilitation for the New Orleans Saints since 2019.

The move is the latest hire by OU general manager Jim Nagy, as he continues to retool the program's front office while primarily leaning on NFL experience. Gress' forthcoming hire also comes just a few days after head coach Brent Venables told reporters that the program was continuing to make changes to the medical staff.

Gress' hire comes after a 2024 season that included several devastating injuries. The offense finished as one of the worst units in college football as the offensive line and wide receiver groups were decimated by injuries.

Gress, a Norman native, received a master's degree from Oklahoma in 2008. He began his professional career as an assistant trainer and physical therapist at Arizona before eventually joining the Miami Dolphins' medical staff in 2014. He joined the Saints in 2018.

The hire will likely be finalized at the OU board of regents meeting in Ardmore on Thursday.

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