Oklahoma Sooners defensive coordinator Brent Venables is the sudden target of this year's Orange Bowl participants, according to a spate of reports. The West Virginia Mountaineers have made an offer after losing Jeff Casteel to the Arizona Wildcats, reports Dean Blevins, and the Clemson Tigers are reportedly interested -- as they've reportedly been for years now.
A Venables exit would make further sense with Mike Stoops already returning as co-defensive coordinator, wouldn't it?
He'd be the second coach in the state to leave to join Dana Holgorsen at WVU this month, following Oklahoma St. Cowboys associate head coach Joe DeForest, if he were to make the move to Morgantown.
Venables has run the OU defense since 2004, taking over not long after Stoops the younger left for the Arizona Wildcats job. After fielding a top-10 unit in 2009, the Sooners have slipped to the 50s in 2010 and 2011, albeit with significant injury setbacks.
For more on the parties involved, visit Oklahoma blog Crimson and Cream Machine and West Virginia blog The Smoking Musket, plus Clemson blog Shakin' the Southland.