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Published Jan 18, 2012
Venables working out the details of his future
Carey Murdock
SoonerScoop.com Editor
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UPDATE: 10:30pm: Brent Venables has just confirmed to SoonerScoop.com that he has taken the defensive coordinator's position at Clemson.
When asked if he was going to Clemson through text message, Venables confirmed, "Yes, I'm confirming."
ORIGINAL REPORT
Brent Venables is finalizing a deal to become the next defensive coordinator for the Clemson Tigers. Or he may be ironing out the details on remaining at Oklahoma as co-defensive coordinator with Mike Stoops.
After a day of reports, tweets and text messages, that is the clearest this situation has come to being resolved.
Reports and tweets had Brent Venables accepting the job at Clemson earlier this evening but Venables confirmed to SoonerScoop.com those reports were, "not true."
Another text from Venables shortly after that one didn't deny the possibility of a deal being worked out between Venables and Clemson.
"Working through some details ... nothing final either way," Venables texted SoonerScoop.com at 5:56 p.m. CST.
Those details could be a mega deal for Venables to take over a Clemson defense which could pay him close to $800,000 a year to leave the Sooners.
Venables flew to South Carolina last weekend with his wife, Julie, and spent Saturday and Sunday visiting with Dabo Swinney. Venables even met several Clemson recruits during his visit.
When met at the Wiley Post Airport in Bethany after touching down in Oklahoma, Venables would not confirm or deny whether he had been offered the defensive coordinator job at Clemson.
On Sunday, Tigers commit Ronald Geohaghan told TigersIllustrated.com he thought Venables was going to end up taking the job at Clemson.
"Well, I feel he's going to be the guy," Geohaghan said. "I think that's who is going to be our defensive coordinator. He seems cool and down-to-earth. He takes his job seriously and loves his team, loves his linebackers."
Venables is thought to be considering the move to Clemson for a number of reasons. But the interest in Clemson heated up after Oklahoma announced the return of Mike Stoops to the Oklahoma coaching staff.
The official press release announced Mike Stoops as the Sooners' co-defensive coordinator, which meant Venables was receiving a demotion in the eyes of most.
Click Here to view this Link."Obviously, it's very comfortable to come back to Oklahoma," Mike Stoops said. "Bob and Brent and I grew up in the profession together and all of that feels very good."
Bob Stoops also downplayed any tension in the university's official release by insinuating Mike and Brent were hitting the ground running by taking off on a recruiting trip together.
Venables confirmed he flew to Florida after he returned home, but OU's lone defensive commit from the state, Eric Striker, said even though Venables stopped by his school, he didn't get a chance to visit with him.
Venables quickly flew back to Oklahoma City before heading out to South Carolina on Saturday.
Striker told SoonerScoop.com he spoke with Venables on Monday.
"Yeah he did (call me) on Monday," Striker said. "He told me he wasn't going anywhere."
Oklahoma coaches have been out on the road since last Wednesday and tracking Venables' participation in the Sooners' recruiting efforts has yielded some interesting observations.
Tony Brooks, the father of OU commit Daniel Brooks, told SoonerScoop.com that the family expected head coach Bob Stoops and Brent Venables to visit their home on Tuesday evening. Stoops made the trip, but Venables did not.
Venables' situation is as muddy as ever and it appears everyone shall know soon enough which school is working on the details that will determine his future.