Kansas State Football: Potential head coach candidate Brent Venables

By John McCarty | Dec 5, 2018

Clemson Tigers defensive coordinator Brent Venables (Photo by Mark LoMoglio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

Brent Venables, former Kansas State football linebacker/coach, currently leads a dominant Clemson defense and is the top choice of fans. The question remains about whether the former Wildcat has interest in returning to Manhattan.

Perhaps there is no candidate more desired by Kansas State fans of all shapes and sizes than former Wildcat linebacker/assistant coach Brent Venables, who currently is the defensive coordinator at Clemson. Long the favorite of fans, does Venables want to leave his position at Clemson to take the helm at his alma mater at Kansas State?

Venables began his coaching career as a graduate assistant in 1993 at Kansas State and stayed through the 1998 season and the year of ‘Can you imagine’ loss to Texas A&M in the Big 12 Championship game.

At the conclusion of that game, Venables was announced as linebacker coach and defensive coordinator at Oklahoma under new head coach Bob Stoops (himself a former Kansas State defensive coach through the 1995 season).

More from Kansas State Wildcats

Through 1998 until 2011, Venables led the Sooner defense would help the program win a National title in 2000, seven conference championships, and a slew of NFL draft picks before he would depart and head for Clemson to work with Dabo Sweeney prior to the 2012 season.

At Clemson, leading the Tiger defense for a program that has dominated the ACC in recent years, Venables has been a part of a National Championship team in 2016 and four conference championships since his arrival. A slew of Clemson defenders appear destined to hear Roger Goodell announce their names in the first round of 2019 NFL Draft in April.

For the third straight season Clemson was selected to appear in the College Football Playoffs. For a head coaching prospect without head coaching experience, Venables certainly has quite the resumé and would certainly appear to be quite the fit at Kansas State.

However, there are serious questions about his interest in the job. His oldest soon is a member of the Clemson football team. He is making head coach money as the coordinator at Clemson, having received a five-year, 11.6 million dollar contract at Clemson that is guaranteed. He is both successful and happy at Clemson.

Whatever the issue, it certainly appears that Snyder and Venables are on good terms and likely would be welcomed back by the Hall of Famer as the coach of the program. A majority of alumni would welcome him back as well. I mean, who wouldn’t want a head coach that has his own ‘get back’ coach?

Home/Kansas State Wildcats