[JOE HARROZ] I'm Joe Harroz, President of the University of Oklahoma.
I want to welcome all of you to the first episode of this new podcast. We call it Conversations with the President, which will give me the chance to talk with some of the great people who make OU so special, and who are working hard to take OU to new and exciting levels. Those of you who are familiar with the University of Oklahoma know that it's our people and our community that sets us apart. My hope is that through this podcast, you will get to know some of those amazing people while also appreciating the work that's being poured into the pursuit of excellence at OU.
Make sure you subscribe to this podcast and you'll be the first to know when new episodes are released.
Let's get started.
Alright, Coach Brent Venables here as the first guest on the podcast. Coach Venables thanks for being here.
[BRENT VENABLES] Thanks for having me, President Harroz.
[HARROZ] Right before this started, you asked me what's the plan and the answer is just to have a conversation. It's my first time to do this and so it'll do.
[VENABLES] I've never done a podcast with the president before.
[HARROZ] It's just probably a reason for that. Probably priorities and opportunity. Hey, thanks for being here. Those listening might not know that we've known each other for a while. Want to start off by asking about how the families do and how the kid's doing. Is the adjustment going well for everybody?
[VENABLES] Yeah. Adjustments are going great. They're still in the process of moving here or we're close to the house just in time for the spring game, just a few days prior. We're really excited about that. In some ways, you feel like a man without a country until you have a home of your own. Girls are finishing up there in sports other than 12 and 13, so they're finishing up school and sports right now. But they'll be out here this weekend for Easter weekend.
[HARROZ] Yeah, it's amazing. All the kids were born here (Norman)?
[VENABLES] All four of them. Yeah, have a son that still at Clemson that's on the team. He just goes through life, like everything's still continues to happen. He actually had a hip labrum and surgery after the season he played through it last year. Then tore pec off of this bone. I know you would never know anything about that.
[HARROZ] No. I don't actually have a pec [LAUGHTER].
[VENABLES] But lifting weights and tore a pec and it's a really pretty tough injury and so he will probably have to red shirt. I don't know, we'll see, but then he got infected. He's been in a hospital for a few days, so but I got a champ for a wife. She knows how to navigate the ship and she's been doing an amazing job, so life goes on, but he'll be all right.
[HARROZ] Will give them our thoughts. I know Julie's (Venables) got this. Fantastic. I'm glad he's making a recovery. I didn't experience a whole lot of injuries myself as a high-school golf or the training schedule wasn't quite probably what your kids are experiencing. Want to show a quick video, and it's the only clip we have in this, but I want to just have you listen to this clip from one night this past December and let's chat about it after it plays.
[FAN’S REACT TO BRENT VENABLES ARRIVAL IN NORMAN AT MAX WESTHEIMER AIRPORT]
[HARROZ] I got to tell you, whenever 27, 28 years I've been around, one of the very coolest evenings I've ever experienced, and it wasn't me, it was you. Everyone was excited to see tell me, you've just made the decision to become the head football coach at the University of Oklahoma, lived here for 13 years. I had been gone for nine years and you come back, what did what was going through your head and what did that feel like that night?
[VENABLES] Well, I mean, obviously in so many ways it was a dream come true, one that you never spent a lot of time because you're so focused on just trying to be great in your roles and just living life and trying to be happy. It was amazing night, I'll be honest. Almost like an out-of-body experience though, and so many ways. Probably the coolest thing for me was to be able to share that with my family. They’re of age, now where they could really appreciate it. They certainly helped me make the decision to take the job. Just I needed that last level layer, if you will, of assurance that everybody was only in what that would mean and what that would look like, but to be able to share that with them and, you know, timings ain't everything. I don't make any apologies for it. However, I became the head coach. Just thrilled and fortunate to do so. Maybe I'm the rebound. [LAUGHTER] Like I literally have had that conversation. No matter what it was from a timing standpoint, it couldn't have been better. Certainly, I really do believe I know in my heart of hearts it was meant to share that with so many people that have had long relationships with, and again, the passion, the energy that was on that runway. It was so real, you could cut it with a knife. It was it was really cool to experience that.
[HARROZ] So we're on the airplane, and to me, you were talking about what it was like to have your family with you. From my perspective, we were on Tim Harrington's giant airplane, which I think is the actual technical description of the airplane. On Tim's that giant airplane [OVERLAPPING]
[VENABLES] There was airplane?
[HARROZ] Yes. Whatever that was, like spaceship or it was too fast to be a spaceship, but whatever is little faster. I look over there, were about to land. We took the second pass, you remember because of the high winds. Look over there and you're with your family, and as someone who has I have three young kids, not for years, a little bit older, but it was to me it was great to see your family connecting in this moment and I know it does feel out-of-body, but as you said, just share it with your family. It's just a whole different experience.
[VENABLES] No doubt. It was an amazing moment, but you're seeing them smiling because I literally was about to throw up with the winds at about 50 miles an hour. They're thrown the plane everywhere and I'm like, why are we doing circles? So I was literally sweating.
[HARROZ] We all were all, all of us were sick to your stomach and trying to act like we weren't. Julie was the only honest person there. Julie was like, I'm gonna need a second, yeah.
[VENABLES] That was pretty neat though to be able to look out and see the crowd had gathered, and this is the moment. From a professional standpoint. It doesn't get bigger than that. You love the team and being a part of a team and sharing accomplishments with your team. But from an individual professional career standpoint, this was for me and our family at that moment was realization that this is the pinnacle, and in the beginning, obviously, but this is what you've really worked your whole life for. You've been preparing for this moment and it's coming to fruition. Like you said, to share that with them was really special.
[HARROZ] I've got to give you my analog to this. It wasn't on a major aircraft in the air, but whenever I had the job offer to come here as president and I'd already not gotten it. Have was thrilled to be still law school dean. Offer comes in. It's a strange circumstance, late in the evening, I go in and wake up my oldest son, and I turned to him, he’ll be a freshman hearing next year. I turned to him and I said, listen, I've got this job offer as the president. It would require some family changes. I want to make sure I get your thoughts before I say yes or no. He looks at me, these are the family moments you never forget. He looks at me time, he's 16 and he goes, ‘Well, dad, isn't it It's going to take a lot of time’ and he goes, well, ‘dad me, isn't that the purpose of being a parent that you can show that you can make a difference where you can and you can provide opportunities for your kids?’ I said, ‘Wow, that's a lot of wisdom from 16, which I'm thankful.’ I said that's incredible. He looks at me and he pauses and then he looks right at me and goes, ‘Plus we'd get great football tickets, right?’ [LAUGHTER]
[VENABLES] Perspective.
[HARROZ] It is perspective. It was about helping, but then of course he wanted good seats.
[VENABLES] Keeping the main thing the main thing.
[HARROZ] That's right. One thing many folks don't know is that before we got in the air point, we were at your lake house, you and Julie's lake house in Clemson. Tim was there and Joe C. (Castiglione) was there and we came in and talked to the family, caught back up and they started talking. You began to walk us through your coaching philosophy and how you feel about coaching and where you wanted to be. Everyone's being professional. You are pouring your heart out about putting the student first, and then with an absolute sign of class, I just jumped up and said, "We want you to be our head coach, yes or no?" I've gotten tickled about that because that was a moment when listening to you, I knew that based upon your philosophy and all the things I've heard from Joe C. about you and your background that you are the right person. But I've always wondered, before we came over to your lake house, as you waited for us to show up when you were talking with your family, had you made the decision at that point where you still pondering it? What was your thought process behind what you were expecting to hear from us there and how you were going to make that decision and was that already made?
[VENABLES] You want me to be honest?
[HARROZ] Yeah, please.
[VENABLES] I'm wondering what took y’all so long to offer me the job.
[HARROZ] [LAUGHTER] That's a fair question.
[VENABLES] I wasn't really asking. I didn't need an answer, but I really was thinking that to myself it's about time. You all finally pulled it together.
[HARROZ] [LAUGHTER] Right. You finally did.
[VENABLES] No, being respectful of the processes is a what not. No, there was just anxiousness, and certainly the way those things work here, there's contractual things that happened afterwards, but everybody's prepared for that and have some level of assumption. For us, yeah, it was just a matter of time. Does the opportunity happen through this conversation? If it does, how are we going to celebrate? We booty bumping, [LAUGHTER] we dabbed it up, [LAUGHTER] we hugging, we dancing. We did a little bit of everything.
[HARROZ] Absolutely.
[VENABLES] Again for Julie and I and our family, no, it was something that we talked about for nearly a week and certainly had had conversations about things in the past, not to be presumptuous, but what does that look like for a family and for us on so many levels. There were such great peace and clarity and ease because of the relationships, because of familiarity, because of our love for Norman and the University of Oklahoma. Just honored and humbled and joyful all at once.
[HARROZ] Well, it seemed like a long time that week. [LAUGHTER] I know it seemed even longer to you. I had the luxury of knowing you when you were here. after the 13 years you were here in Oklahoma. Didn't really stay in touch while you were in Clemson. You seem like you're busy in your work there. Obviously, it setting the world on fire as defensive coordinator. One of the big questions that as a university president you always have is obviously, can they be successful? But what head coach are you going to be off the field. I know folks want to talk about wins and losses, that's always important especially in Oklahoma in football, but the truth of matter is we're an educational institution and there are so many colleagues of mine that are university presidents that have a really strange relationship with the head coach especially in football. It can be a complicated relationship. We want to make sure that, as you say, the first thing's first, which is the development of the student-athlete. When people asked me tell me really about Coach Venables. To me, there's one image, literal image that comes up. I'm not sure if you recall seeing this image, but this is you with the former player at Clemson, Darien Rencher. You might just indicate after you taken the job, you went back to see him, didn't you?
[VENABLES] Well, I went to see him and my son, my nephew, and so many other players that were graduating. Special moment for certainly my family and the Clemson football family. What a cool opportunity was for me to be able to share a special day for all of them. You got to find time. You're like it's one thing to preach it, to talk about it, but have always prided myself on being a doer and not just a talker. That was a cool opportunity for me to be able to get back and again share in a really neat moment to just lives of vapor. It's a huge day for so many people and so to be able to be back with my family and the Clemson football family, it was pretty cool.
[HARROZ] As you say that, that's what it's all about. To me, you can see who someone really is when the camera's off, when they're doing things that they don't have to do. I talk a lot about the university being a family and how it really is something very different than just some commercial enterprise. It's out there. I spent a lot of time over the years doing recruiting of certain student-athletes to help out of just recruiting in general for the university. To me, if it's just transactional, it's not real. To me, that picture of you there was a good example and one I refer to people to say, look, this is not someone who only is good at the small picture, which is the wins and losses, but understands the purpose of a university purpose of relationships and it's one of the things I'm certainly most proud of in terms of being your friend and your colleague. [OVERLAPPING]
[VENABLES] Well, I appreciate that. Obviously for me, the true measure of success in this profession is the type of young men that we develop through our program and through their experiences and to be a small part of their journey of transformation. That's the coolest thing about being a coach in particularly in this time in their lives is to see real transformation take place physically, mentally, socially, academically, spiritually. To see these young people and in sometimes in some ways help facilitate those dreams to see that transformation take place and go chase their dreams, to be a fly on the wall during that journey for them is so cool. I don't take any of that for granted whatsoever. It's a huge responsibility to be a part of their life and try to throw in a good seed along the way and try to be the headlight for them in some ways. That's what we want to be known for. To me, success is going to happen. I'm very confident in that. That's what we know. The football piece is such an easy part, although the game itself coaching and strategizing and competing and winning, it's a very difficult thing, but in so many ways it's so easy. Part of our instincts, the part that we got to work extra hard and particularly getting young people to focus on is investing in themselves to be able to see that 35, that 40-year-old version of themselves down the road and for us to try to be again the guiding light for them to be able to see that so that that version of them is proud of who they were in the decisions that they made while they were in college and part of that transformation.
[HARROZ] Yeah, it's interesting. My background was being dean of the college of law for nine years before this job and I'm so grateful for this job. I do miss being around a discrete set of students and being a part of their life in a way where you really know them and they really know you. I'm sure becoming head coach, you wind up one step further from being with those players, that particular deep inside of the ball. The thing that you and I both came into these roles at really at a time of great change. Everything has been disrupted. Intercollegiate athletics we all knew it had been forever changed and it became evident to everyone over the last six months. You and I talk about this a lot. We plan and strategize along with Joe Castiglione over what's the path in this new college athletics and college football landscape with the anti-trust issues that have faced in a reality for the NCAA with NIL (name, image and likeness), with all of those things attached to it. If you look at where we are today and we know that by 2025 we'll moved over to the SEC, but as you've think about and as we plan for that move to the SEC, because we've talked about challenges, but what in your mind do you think is the best and the worst coming from these changes? How does it impact the way you're approaching your job?
[VENABLES] I think the best part of it is there's benefits for the players and all of their hard work. I can't say that enough. Just the system has been set up the way it's been. I'm good with whatever the system has been. There's been opportunity that's created for the players and their families in some ways. I think that's a great thing. They deserve that. They work incredibly hard. so many challenges for young people to go to College and living on your own for the first time is hard in itself and then to manage being a student athlete and all the challenges that that has along with it makes it that much more difficult. To be able to compensate them and to be able to benefit off of their successes and their name, image, and likeness, I think that's a good thing. I think the important pieces not to lose sight of the return on investment for the holistic piece and developing in every part of their life, the educational piece, the value of a degree and of an education, nothing will create more opportunity and open more doors for them later in life than having that college degree. You can't be a raggedy old football coach like me or a university president without having a college degree. The thing that I don't like about it, it focuses a little bit more on the football piece itself and money attached to it, as opposed to again, just development, transformation, maturation, getting your degree, growing from boyhood to manhood, learning, and equipping, and empowering our players to be great husbands and fathers, and leaders, and agents of change in their communities to help them facilitate other dreams they might have. Every guy will raise their hand when you ask this question, “How many you all want to go play in the NFL one day?” Every one of them is going to raise a hand and that's a good thing. We can facilitate those dreams as well as anybody, the opportunities down the road. But to really help find the other dreams that they have most of the time, they didn't even know they have them. It's inside of them. To help them find their true passions, to help them find their why, their purpose. That's a tougher, more difficult, not as easy to answer question. A few, their unicorns know that when they first show up as freshmen. That's an aberration. To help them find their purpose in life, who they want to be, what they believe, just to get what do you really believe? I know, maybe in the football world that's easy, but what are your beliefs? If your beliefs really are tied to your destiny, and what you believe. Trying to help them just find themselves. I think that's an awesome part of being a coach. It's an awesome part of going to college and just finding your way, your journey. Really focusing holistically on that journey, which you don't want to have happen is that the NIL space, if you will, becomes more important than that. Everything is sped up. I know I've got two nephews and two sons that are in college. I've got daughters that are 12 and 13. All of a sudden, if they had, again, you're just young and not everybody is at the same level from a maturity standpoint, how they think. The 25-year-old version is going to look a lot different than that 18, 19, 20-year-old version just is. There's a reason why car insurance is a lot less for a 25-year-old than it is for a 19-year-old. It's called judgment and wisdom goes along with that. You worry about people losing their way. We want our guys to focus on being inside out in everything that they do. We want to be that way as a program and focus on their journey, and not compare to everybody else's. When you get in this space and everybody has their collectives, and they might have get their deals, if you will. Everybody wants to compete with, so and so and other schools getting this and what have you. I'm sure there's a business model that will come out of this to some degree, and as far as value and things of that nature. But what you don't want us to start focusing on the wrong things, guys to lose their way to be all about short-term money instead of, again, long-term, sustainable return on investment for the rest of their lives. The reality is this less than two percent of all student athletes or college football players are going to have a chance to play, and make an opening day roster in the NFL. Let's really focus on that holistic development piece in preparing them, equipping them, empowering them with tools. They're going to truly be sustainable and impactful for the rest of their lives.
[HARROZ] No, I think there's so much wisdom in that. People all the time, and it's not just those that aren't in higher education, it's even those on the total inside of intercollegiate athletics, they're not exactly certain what the landscape looks like. To me the people that lose their way are those that don't understand the fundamentals. Yes, there's more money for athletes, there needs to be, That's all happening and should be happening. But what I think is so important is that we're transmitting values, we're communicating with people, the lessons that these leaders will become. I love the approach of let's focus on you and your development. Yes, you're going to be in a competitive position in every aspect, including with the dollars. But you're also going to leave you with something a lot more valuable for the rest of your life. I think students, athletes, and their families can see through it. I think that a lot of people say things when they're recruiting. I've heard speeches that others have given when they're recruiting. It's like when I used to try some jury trials just in case I don't have the background, they can judge whether someone's being truthful or not, whether they really believe it or not. I think what's going to make you and the program so successful. You see it in the S.O.U.L (Serving Our Uncommon Legacy) Mission. You've seen all these things you guys are doing is you don't just talk it, you live it. When someone is making a decision for themselves or on behalf of their student athlete, where they should go. I'd have them playing with Brent Venables because they can be best in every category and not just best in one category, and it gets pretty exciting. I know we need to get this thing wrapping up. We've got a spring game coming up in case you didn't know this.
[VENABLES] Yeah.
[HARROZ] You probably heard about it.
[VENABLES] Is it soon?
[HARROZ] It is soon. I know we're filling up the stadium. We're going at it. I've heard some early numbers of how big it's going to be, tens of thousands showing up for this game. What can we expect at the spring game this year?
[VENABLES] Well, I expect an amazing atmosphere and an elite atmosphere. One that is the best in college football one. Our fan base is incredibly passionate. Since 1999, I think there's 140 straight sell outs. I understand how well our fans have supported this program. Really my message is having the mindset of not just showing up but being engaged. Show up and be passionate no matter what the situation is, if whether things go in your way or not, and other players deserve that. The expectations from the players, they're passionate, they're tough, they're physical, they're discipline. They play for Oklahoma; they're unified in how they play and do the little things the right way. For us as coaches the same thing, truly be invested in all of it. To me, the spring game it's an opportunity for, first and foremost, for our players to have an opportunity to be in front of a live crowd and to have a game simulation. You don't have a preseason like the NFL does. This is one of those moments where we get about with the coaches completely off the field and we get a chance to really let the players play in a game type of environment. To be honest, have an opportunity to get exposed in front of people, in front of a live audience, so they can have an awareness where they're at, what we got to do to get better and moving forward, and really for us too to create some momentum going into the out of season program as well.
But we got a chance and an opportunity to really send a message about who we are. Some of it is just validating and reinforcing who we've been. But I don't take any of it for granted as a head coach because we've had past success, because maybe I've had prior success, because of an individual players had past success or this program. All the excellence that it has represented for so many years doesn't mean we're entitled to continue to have success. As a coach, as a teammate, if you will, I have always guarded against complacency. I have tremendous respect for how you have success, the work that you have to put in every day. You can't grow weary from it. Being successful, being a leader, being at the top of the food chain is very lonely place to be. You have to be willing to do things others are not willing to do. For us to have the season that none of our players in this current staff have never experienced then we have to be willing to do things that we've never done before too. There's a lot of commitment, lot of sacrifice that goes into it from the fans and from the supporters as well. I recognize the financial sacrifices people make, their love for the Sooners.
I would just challenge people to be mindful of what loyalty means all the time. Because the expectation from the players, they show up every day with a great mindset with humility and toughness, and an appreciation, and gratitude for what they have. For us to be transitioning here in the next few years into what I believe will be the best football conference on the planet, then we're going to have to bring our A game. I said as much, and really that's totality as a football program. Everything matters, everything counts, and what's best for the players is my filter for making decisions in a program. Sometimes what's best for the players, they don't like. That's just the way it is sometimes, parenting 101. But it's always what's best for the players. The best living conditions, the best nutrition, the best strength and conditioning, the best elite recovery, the best sport science, the best NIL plan, the best facilities and the best of the best in any industry. If they do something, they're always forward thinking. You don't have to come up with a new message if you already have a great message. But you have to always evolve. Be progressive.
Again, forward thinking, always assessing and reassessing and have any humility about the process to continue to be successful in being inside out in our approach and again, taking care of our people and that's our players. Like I said on, that's how I'm selfishly, what's best for the players. For us to be able to not only go to the SEC, people don't expect us to just go and be competitive. What does that mean? That's too broad and vague. Be competitive [OVERLAPPING], is that okay? I don't think so. I wouldn't know how to act, if that were the case and so obviously that's not where our mind is. It's going to take a lot. It’s a huge challenge and one of them will be very honest. One of the reasons I was most excited about the opportunity to be the head football coach at Oklahoma, understanding the transition, maybe the biggest transition between Oklahoma and Texas go into the SEC. One of the biggest, if not the biggest transitions and all the college football history and what it means for the future. To be able to be a part of that, to have that challenge sitting at your feet every day, what an awesome opportunity and get a lot of work.
But it's always been a lot of work. People say, oh, what's it like being a head coach compared to, it's always when you've been passionate. You’re so invested. Focused on being great. You're busy, non-stop. It doesn't matter. You're just busy maybe doing a few more things that aren't the x's, the o's, but you're still competitive, you're still passionate, you're still intense. You're still intentional. Ultimately, you're doing it for your players and your staff.
For me it's been a blast. Not that you asked how the coaching thing [LAUGHTER] was going here this spring. But, for me it's been a blast. I've not felt overwhelmed. I felt that for me, it's been confirmation that the coaches that I've worked for both assistant and head coaches, three Hall of Famers, Bill Snyder, Bob Stoops, Dabbo Swinney. Technically, it's not a Hall of Famer yet, but it's coming. He's amazing. But just these three amazing men, amazing staff and colleagues that I've been able to be around. I've paid attention. It's better to be prepared for an opportunity that never comes your way than not to be prepared for an opportunity that happened to you. I've always had great awareness. I've always asked a million questions. I was that guy. I'm always asking questions until young coaches don't just like your players, don't be that guy that's too cool for school that you don't have any idea what the professor or the teacher the coach is talking about. I mean, there's real empowerment in knowledge. Knowledge is power like, why would you not want to know? I never thought so much of myself that I wasn't going to say like, I have no idea what you're talking [LAUGHTER] about. But for me, I was always that way even as a young student, assistant coach and then I became a graduate assistant. And I was not at the main table but I was there in coach Snyder says anybody got anything and I was like, over here. I've always been so thankful for coach Snyder, his willingness to, not only open it up sometimes you think well, are asking, but they really don't want anybody who answered the question, right or ask a question. But he always made me feel so valued. He always made me feel valued. Like what I had to say was important. Really for the three men that I've worked for that there are amazing in so many ways and their strengths necessarily weren't always the same, but I learned so much from all of them. But if all three had something that was very similar as they made the people that worked for them, and the players feel valued, had a genuine appreciation for everybody's role.
For me, we had a high school coaches' clinic a week or so ago and that was my message to some of the people that were in charge. Just to pay attention to the young people that you have an opportunity to throw seed into them. Don't squash their dreams. If you will, don't have the iron fist so much in a way where you don't allow real growth to happen. Because for me that's how I grew up quickly in the profession was just the opportunity and really the confidence that I grew in those moments. For me, I've had a blast, but I've been preparing for this moment unintentionally. When I say unintentionally like because for me, I always had goals, but they weren't really centered on me becoming a head coach. Just like you are. You're not focused on winning on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, you're focused on the process to win, like so invested in those moments, the preparation, instead of focusing on the result, just focused on what it's going to take and just try to be great at what it's going to take. The result would take care of itself. For me, I think one of the reasons why I've had things 26 years as a full-time coach going into my 27th, 22 of those 26 years I've been on teams that have won 10-plus games averaged over 11 wins and I'm not saying to beat my own chest as much as when you have such respect for the work that it takes. It was always a nameless, faceless opponent, it didn't matter. Working for Bill Snyder and we're playing Ohio University, the Bobcats, and we're playing the triple option. Or we’re playing Nebraska for the Big 12 Championship, or you go to Oklahoma in your first game, we played Indiana State and our first game, which was a shout out and started the longest or the start a streak of the most wins in college football since 1999, or we're playing Florida State for that first national championship, and we consider that another shutout. 13-2. I say that humbly. Or again at Clemson when my first game I coached there was against Auburn, in the SEC. Or in our bowl game against LSU that first year there. I've always treated every opportunity the exact same. Everybody we're playing the Pittsburgh Steelers every week. Just having never been up here or down here or played to an opponent. I've always prepared to a standard.
Coach Swinney talked about that a lot in his program. Coach Stoops talked about that all the time in our program. Talked about no excuses and Bill Snyder had a very methodical way. That success story there is amazing, but I was a small part of the greatest turnaround in the history of college football. They have close to the most losses in the history of college football yet everybody in the last 20-25 years remembers Kansas state program as being an elite program and an amazing success story. For me, this spring has been validation and reinforcement for me of all the nuggets, the experience, the knowledge, the wisdom, the expertise, the love, the nurturing, the endurance that it takes to be a part of all those different programs and the success stories at each one of those places working for three amazing leaders. I've just tried to equip and empower both our coaches and our current players with all the things that I've learned and continue to just be me. I'm just the exact way I ran my defense of room or my linebacker room as exact way that I try to lead as a head coach. Not try to change it in any way. When you love what you do, and your passion about what you do, it's a lot of joy to wake up every day. It's a lot of fun. I've always had a great perspective. Some of that is because of how I grew up. I've just always, when I was a young kid, I was always someday, when I get big. I've always had that just as part of my foundation in my mindset, my attitude, which is where it all starts for me, into thankfulness that I've always had just for life-101 as we know it. But certainly, to be a coach and to be in a position of influence and position of empowerment and have an opportunity to facilitate dreams and to be on a team. I love being on a team and whether it's a result, really there's a result every day for us as coaches, nothing is ever the same. But in so many ways organically, you try to make it the same structurally, to create structure and boundaries and cohesion in what you do, you try to create a level of consistency in how you do what you do. Don't just change it up every day. But there's a lot that's not when you're dealing with young people, 18,19,20, 21-year-olds, there's a lot of things that go on, so you try to be consistent, the strength of their lives too. Just been having an absolute blast and not getting so caught up in, it's my first time being a head coach or the head coach at Oklahoma. Now what do you think? It's a huge responsibility. A lot of people are counting on me. I really embrace that. I enjoy that. I don't shy away from that, but I'll be very honest and, I don't know how this would sound, but this is literally how I've always been. Whether I was a linebacker coach or was the graduate assistant or became the defensive coordinator. Wherever I've been, if you ask anybody, I've always felt my job, my role was the most important role on the team. The success of the program, the success to win, everybody was counting on me to be at my absolute best. If I wasn't that was going to let everybody down. I've always had that fanatical, desperate, intense, passionate mindset as far as the role and my responsibility, in what it had to do with the success. I don't know if that came off right.
[HARROZ] I'm going to ask you to be our head football coach again [LAUGHTER], just based on eight parts of that. Part of this is what I heard when we were there at your lake house and this is who you are and we are at a time in college athletics, in higher education, in a state of the world where change is everywhere. To have individuals at the helm that are passionate about what they are doing, they love what they're doing, where they truly do put what matters first, which in our case is the student. Even before it's not an athlete student it's a student athlete. There's so much change happening, not just us going to the SEC, but all of intercollegiate athletics is changing with football, of course, leading that because of its statute and prominence. There's not a better person in the country right now, and I mean this, to have at the helm of this university's football program than you. Couldn't be happier, absolutely thrilled. No entitlement, and truly loving those kids and being able to be there for them. The truth of matter is, we built his big strategic plan, our playbook for the university. All of that, 138 tactics all rolls up to one thing. It's three words, “We Change Lives.” The reality is coach, you're doing that every single day. It's not just those players in the locker room. It's the whole state that watching the whole country that watches you. You're up for this. You've lived enough and you've experienced enough. You know who you are. You've got a sense of self and a sense of purpose. All of that is what clearly shine through. It shouldn't have taken us a week, it should have been about two minutes. But just absolutely thrilled that you're here. You know that you've got all the support you need from us. We've got a lot to navigate over the next few years. I truly believe we know we're not fighting for a five and five season. But we know that anything that we want to prepare our students for, not just our student-athletes, is to be prepared for life, the hardships and opportunities that arise and to everyday go hard as you can and achieve excellence. You've done it and you'll do it and we're excited about it. Now, of course, I came in here, you're not focus on this and what happened, Mike Houck walks in and he just hands me a piece of paper and he's like you got to read this. Didn't even say hello. Mike is my good friend. He came and he said, "Listen before this thing ends you've got to indicate that there are still tickets available for the game this Saturday." He said," Go to soonersports.com to get them." That's what he's caring about right now. He also said that April 29th is the deadline for Sooner Club donations and football season ticket renewals. I've discharged that obligation, but the reality is it's really important. All kidding aside, for us to achieve what we want for our players, for this program, for our university. Look at the excellence at a bounce. Look at the people that you work as colleagues with every day at the University of Oklahoma right now. We're number one in softball right now in the country and golf and both gymnastics right there, four iconic coaches right there before you even get to football, two new coaches in basketball. The goal for this university in athletics on the academic side, all of it together is to achieve fundamental excellence. Having you at the helm of our football program, it makes me not just confident that we're going to win, but more importantly confident that what we've dedicated our careers too, which is being a part of these students lives, being a part of a state, being a part of all those things that we get to do every day in our jobs. That is done with excellence and with integrity. Done in a way that we can be proud of. Not just today, but at the end of the day, and hopefully the biggest reward is going to come in pictures like that you have from graduation. It's those pictures, those moments where you're with individuals and I can guarantee you where you're saying Dabo's name, Coach Snyder's name, and of course, the incomparable Bob Stoops. They're already saying your name and the student athletes and those will note for a long time and we're grateful to have you here. I appreciate you for making time for this.
[VENABLES] It was great to be with you. Appreciate you.
[HARROZ] Thanks. Good to see you buddy.
[VENABLES] You, too.
[HARROZ] I want to thank our guest today for joining Conversations with the President. Make sure you subscribe to this podcast wherever you listen, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts. Thanks for listening. Live on, University.
