Brent Venables Shouts Out Josh Heupel at SEC Media Days

Credit: Yahoo Sports

Oklahoma’s first SEC test is at home against Tennessee the third weekend of September.

While it’s a new experience for Oklahoma as a program, it’s a reunion for the two head coaches.

For Josh Heupel, Norman is the place where he quarterbacked his way to a national title win and second place finish in the Heisman race in 2000.

After his brief NFL career, Heupel spent the better part of a decade on staff at Oklahoma, with roles ranging from graduate assistant to quarterbacks coach to co-offensive coordinator. This will be Heupel’s first trip back to Norman as a coach.

1999 was when Venables began coaching at Oklahoma, spending 12 years as a defensive coordinator and coaching linebackers before spending the next decade at Clemson.

Even though Venables coach the other side of the ball from Heupel, he still remembers their time together fondly.

“I have this deep appreciation for Josh, especially as a player. I owe him,” Venables said at SEC Media Days. “I won my first national title with him. We couldn’t have done it without Heup, his leadership, guts, and toughness.”

This will be the first time the Sooners and Vols have battled 2015 in Neyland Stadium, better known by Sooner fans as Baker Mayfield’s coming out party.

The only prior meeting in Norman was a dominant 34-10 Sooners win in 2014.