When Dabo was looking for a new Defensive Coordinator in January 2012, he apparently had a number of coaches under consideration. One, however, made an impression unlike any others. As a result, Clemson Nation will be forever grateful to DC Brent Venables - and to Dabo for making the perfect hire!
Before Clemson
Brent Venables played linebacker at Garden City Community Center and at Kansas State. After graduating from K St, he went into coaching. According to Venables’ Wikipedia page, Venables' coaching career progressed as follows:
“In 1993, Venables began his coaching career at Kansas State as a graduate assistant. In 1996, Venables was promoted to linebackers coach and served in that capacity until 1998.
Oklahoma
In 1999, Venables began coaching at the University of Oklahoma, where he served as co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach for the Sooners under head coach Bob Stoops, with whom he previously worked at Kansas State. He shared oversight of the defense with Stoops’ younger brother, Mike Stoops, until Mike became head coach at Arizona in 2004. Venables then became sole defensive coordinator, and was also promoted to associate head coach.
In 2006, he was one of five finalists for the Broyles Award for the nation's top assistant coach.”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brent_Venables#cite_note-7
While at Clemson
Venables’ journey to Clemson almost seemed like destiny! According to Tigernet:
“Swinney needed to move quickly and had a list of candidates in mind, but one name kept sticking out: Brent Venables. Venables was 41 at the time and had been a full-time defensive coach at the FBS level for 16 years. All 16 years the teams played in a bowl game, including eight in BCS Bowls. Four of those bowl games were for the National Championship. Swinney knew Venables had a winning pedigree. What he didn’t know was if Venables would mesh with the Clemson program.
The two connected on an early-evening phone call, and like two love-struck teenagers who couldn’t bear to say goodbye, the conversation lasted until the wee hours of the morning. A few hours after hanging up, Venables was on a plane to Clemson with his wife and the conversation reignited.
The decision was an easy one for Swinney, who loved Venables’ winning ways.
“We are getting one of the top coordinators in the nation,” said Swinney.
https://www.tigernet.com/clemson-football/story/brent-venables:-the-simple-man-turned-into-dabo-swinneys-best-hire-18889
So true, Coach Swinney! So true!!
Brent Venables was named Clemson's Defensive Coordinator in January 2012. He quickly elevated Clemson’s defense in spectacular fashion. Sports Illustrated gives the stats for Venables’ defenses at Clemson. These amazing numbers speak for themselves:
2012: Total Defense Rank: 65 / Scoring Defense Rank: 46
2013: Total Defense Rank: 25 / Scoring Defense Rank: 24
2014: Total Defense Rank: 1 / Scoring Defense Rank: 3
2015: Total Defense Rank: 10 / Scoring Defense Rank: 25
2016: Total Defense Rank: 8 / Scoring Defense Rank: 10
2017: Total Defense Rank: 4 / Scoring Defense Rank: 2
2018: Total Defense Rank: 6 / Scoring Defense Rank: 1
2019: Total Defense Rank: 3 / Scoring Defense Rank: 3
2020: Total Defense Rank: 14 / Scoring Defense Rank: 18
2021: Total Defense Rank: 9 / Scoring Defense Rank: 2
Venables’ passion for excellence was so pervasive that Dabo had to assign him a “get-back coach” to keep him from leaving the sidelines while coaching in the heat of the moment during games. According to ClemsonTigers.com:
A big part of Clemson Football’s success in 2014 was their No. 1 ranked defense, orchestrated by now fourth-year defensive coordinator Brent Venables. Venables is unique in that he has an “assistant” of sorts to help him on gamedays: his own, personal “get-back” coach, who comes in the form of Adam Smotherman.
Of course, being a “get-back coach” is not his only job — Smotherman works full-time as an assistant strength and conditioning coach for the Tigers under the direction of Joey Batson.
Of course, what did Clemson get for all of this outstanding defense?
During the ten seasons in which Brent Venables coached:
- Clemson secured double-digit wins in each season
- Clemson won six ACC Championships
- Clemson appeared in the College Football Playoffs in six seasons
- Clemson appeared in the National Championship Game in four seasons
- Clemson won two National Championships
If all of these accomplishments are not enough, ClemsonTigers.com adds the following:
- Guided Clemson as it led the ACC in total defense (326.8 yards per game) in 2020 for the fourth time in five years.
- His 2020 group produced 46 sacks, tied for the most in the nation, despite no single player producing more than 4.5. A total of 21 Clemson players contributed at least half a sack, the most in the country and the most in a season in the Dabo Swinney era.
- Helped linebacker Isaiah Simmons earn the 2019 Butkus Award as the nation’s top linebacker. Simmons was Venables’ seventh career Butkus finalist and third career Butkus winner. Simmons earned ACC Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2019 as one of Clemson’s eight All-ACC selections on defense.
- Coordinated a 2019 unit that did not allow its first 12 opponents to reach 300 yards, the first unit on record since 1996 to do so. Clemson finished in the Top 10 in total defense (228.3 yards per game) for a sixth straight season, the longest active streak in the country, and finished third in the country in scoring defense (13.5 points per game).
- Helped Clemson hold opponents to 20 or fewer points in 16 consecutive games across the 2018-19 seasons. A streak of that length had not occurred at Clemson in 79 years, when Hall of Fame coaches Jess Neely and Frank Howard combined for a 31-game streak across the 1937-40 seasons.
- Led the country in scoring defense (13.1 points per game) for the first time in school history in 2018. Ranked fourth in rushing defense (96.3 yards per game), fifth in total defense (285.9 yards per game).
- Unit set a school record with 54 sacks in 2018, the third-most by any FBS team in a season since 2000.
- His 2018 defense produced five first- or second-team All-Americans, including two consensus selections (Clelin Ferrell and Christian Wilkins). Ferrell also won the Ted Hendricks Award as the nation’s top defensive end and Wilkins won the Campbell Trophy, known colloquially as the “Academic Heisman.” Linebacker Tre Lamar was a finalist for the Butkus Award.
- His 2017 defense was second in the nation in scoring defense (13.6) and fourth in total defense (276.7).
- Helped linebackers Dorian O’Daniel (2017) and Tre Lamar (2018) earn Butkus Award finalist selections.
- Recipient of the 2016 Frank Broyles Award as the nation’s top assistant coach. His 2016 group amassed 130 tackles for loss and a then-school-record 49 sacks. His teams led the NCAA in tackles for loss four seasons in a row from 2013-16.
- Ben Boulware was a first-team All-ACC performer and second-team Walter Camp All-American in 2016, as well as ACC Co-Defensive Player of the Year.
- Was FootballScoop’s Defensive Coordinator of the Year in 2014 and Rivals’ Recruiter of the Year in 2015.
- Finalist for the 2015 Broyles Award after his defense finished fourth nationally in third-down conversion percentage (27.7) and in sacks per game (3.2) and fifth in tackles for loss per game (8.4).
- His 2014 defense led the nation in total defense (260.8), pass efficiency defense (98.3), first downs allowed (185), third-down conversion percentage defense (27.4) and tackles for loss (131).
- His 2013 unit led the nation in tackles for loss (122).
- Named one of Rivals’ top-25 recruiters in the nation in 2013 and one of 247Sports’ top-50 recruiters in the nation in 2013.”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brent_Venables
After Clemson:
Venables was named Head coach at Oklahoma on December 5, 2021. Of note, Venables did not take get-back Coach Adam Smotherman with him.
Brent Venables might now be coaching the Sooners, but he will always be a Clemson legend!
If interested, this video breaks down Venables’ approach to coaching defense:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97m7siGwLwQ
