Paul Finebaum Names 'Very Underrated' SEC Coach That Deserves More Recognition

SEC media days have concluded, and we are just a few weeks away from the start of fall camp in preparation for the upcoming season.

On Friday, a caller discussed his opinion of the Oklahoma Sooners' head coach Brent Venables' appearance at SEC media days on Paul Finebaum's radio show .

The caller expressed his admiration for Venables, and Finebaum agreed. Finebaum emphasized that Venables is underrated, crediting his successful tenure as a defensive coordinator at Clemson.

"I agree," Finebaum said. "I was with coach (Venables) in Norman two weeks ago and a couple of other times. To me, he is very underrated. If you take Brent Venables out of Clemson, Dabo Swinney may have a title, he may not have a title instead of two titles and six playoff appearances."

As a defensive coordinator, Venables was highly successful. From 1999 to 2021, he contributed to three national championships for Oklahoma and Clemson. He also led some of the top defenses in the country.

As head coach, Venables is still trying to find his footing. Oklahoma went 6-7 in its first year, marking the first losing season since 1998. However, the Sooners bounced back in Year 2, going 10-3 and beating arch-rival Texas, which played in the College Football Playoff.

Still, Oklahoma did not play for the Big 12 championship and failed to make the playoff, something it has achieved more times than any other Big 12 team since the playoff started in 2014.

Now that Oklahoma is joining the SEC, it has one of the most experienced defenses in the country. However, it is replacing its entire offensive line and quarterback from last season. This, combined with Oklahoma's tougher schedule in 2024, leaves a lot of uncertainty for the upcoming season.

Related: Paul Finebaum Names Top College Football Coach Who Finally Turned The Corner