After the shocking news dropped that Lincoln Riley would be leaving the Oklahoma Sooners to become the new head coach at the University of Southern California (USC), it became quite clear that there were no givens in the NCAA. With the Sooners now looking for their next head coach, their spot in the Big 12 (and later in the SEC) looks to be a bit dicey.

Having lost a plethora of top commits after the news of Riley departing circulated, long-time coach Bob Stoops rejoined the team on an interim basis, as he will lead this team for the time being into its bowl game and potentially into the offseason while they conduct their search.

The Sooners boast one of the offseason’s best coaching gigs to fill, especially with their impending departure from the Big 12 into a golden opportunity in the SEC, which means that they should be able to pull the biggest and best names available to replace Riley – here are three coaches that Oklahoma needs to target if they want to remain a dominant force on the college football landscape.

Brent Venables
DC – Clemson Tigers

Sticking within the collegiate ranks, poaching defensive coordinator Brent Venables from the Clemson Tigers would be a great option for the Sooners to look into.

With Venables, he has been a mainstay in head coaching rumors for years now, as he has led plenty of NFL-ready defensive units under head coach Dabo Swinney. Having developed players like Isaiah Simmons, Clelin Ferrell, and others, Venables is a strong candidate who looks to have great relationships with his players.

The added bonus is that Venables has ties to Norman, as he was a member of the defensive staff from 1999-2011, having served DC, linebackers, and assistant head coaching roles while with the Sooners. He also was a member of the Kansas State coaching staff prior to the Sooners, where he served alongside Stoops, so there are many dots that can be connected to Norman.

Venables comes highly regarded and would be a smash hire for Oklahoma to target, with the potential to make this fan base forget about Riley sooner rather than later.

Joe Brady
OC – Carolina Panthers

Even though he recently made the climb into the NFL as the offensive coordinator for the Carolina Panthers, Joe Brady’s success at LSU would likely make him a solid choice to go back into the college ranks and help lead the Sooners.

The Panthers have had some struggles on the offensive side of the ball under Brady, and even though a lot of those issues can be tied to injuries to Christian McCaffrey and inconsistent QB play, Brady might see the writing on the wall and take a chance to jump ship before he is pushed off.

Having been a part of the offensive staff for LSU during their record-setting 2019 season, Brady could work with standout QB Caleb Williams, who would be taking over the full-time role with Spencer Rattler on his way out into the transfer portal.

Matt Campbell
HC – Iowa State

Having had his name tossed around more than a football on Saturdays in Norman, Matt Campbell is one of the hottest commodities for teams in the HC market, and Oklahoma is very familiar with him with his battles with Riley.

Making a jump from one Big 12 team to another certainly is a bold move for Campbell to make, but with Oklahoma's move to the SEC coming soon, he would not need to worry about facing ISU for too long. As a two-time Big 12 Coach of the Year, Campbell’s tenure with the Cyclones started back in 2016 as their head coach, and if the Sooners were smart, they would make sure is the replacement of Riley.