NORMAN — Brent Venables knows Oklahoma’s special teams have to get better. As the Sooners grow into their station in the Southeastern Conference, there will be areas the Sooners have to catch up. But special teams play doesn’t have be one of them. In fact, special teams is a phase of the game in which the Sooners can pace the SEC with the right athletes in the right position and the right coach drawing up the right schemes. That’s why Venables hired Doug Deakin. “Loved Doug’s body of work,” Venables said last week. “He’s been committed. He’s built something where he’s at in a lot of different ways. He’s earned his way in this profession. So he’s got a great journey and a great testimony of how he got to where he is — but he’s really good. He’s passionate about what he does.” According to ESPN’s overall efficiency rankings for 2023, Oklahoma’s special teams — placekicking, punting, punt return, kickoff coverage, kickoff return — ranked No. 127 in the nation last year. So when Jay Nunez took an on-field coaching position at Alabama, Venables replaced him as the Sooners’ special teams analyst with Deakin. Venables described an “alignment” between what Deakin has done in the past and what Venables wants OU’s special teams to look like. Related: Spring Preview: Oklahoma Needs Special Teams to Improve for SEC Play
“He’s smart,” Venables said. “Again, success both in scheme and fundamentals of the game. He’s got a philosophy on special teams from an aggressiveness standpoint that aligns with what we want to be as well in the special teams area.” Make a few more field goals, don’t drop punts and don’t get a punt blocked for a touchdown against your rival and OU special teams would have looked a lot more efficient last season. Venables believes Deakin could be the difference in elevating everyone’s game. At San Diego State, Deakin’s special teams units ranked in the top 10 nationally three straight years, according to the ESPN efficiency marker. In 2022, the Aztecs ranked No. 2, and last year they were No. 9.
