OU football: Brent Venables makes more hires official, including Jerry Schmidt's return

NORMAN — Marvin Mims isn’t quite sure whether to be excited or terrified.

Mims has heard all the stories about OU strength and conditioning coach Jerry Schmidt and isn’t sure yet what to make of Schmidt’s return to the Sooners after four seasons at Texas A&M.

“I think it’s a mixture of both really,” Mims said Friday as the Sooners continue preparations for the Alamo Bowl against Oregon at 8:15 p.m. Dec. 29 in San Antonio (ESPN). “I’ve definitely heard stories about him, things he’s put players through and I think he’s going to push this program to a new level definitely.

“I think it’s going to build us to a mental strength that we’ve never really been to before, I’m pretty sure. I’m looking forward to it. I say that now, then (when) I’m in the middle of a workout, I’ll probably be dying, probably be hurting and all that type of stuff. But it’ll be good for us in the long run.”

Schmidt’s hiring was one of three made official by Sooners coach Brent Venables on Friday.

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Venables also announced the hiring of Brandon Hall as safeties coach and Miguel Chavis as defensive ends coach, further solidifying Venables’ initial staff with the Sooners.

He announced last week that Jeff Lebby would serve as offensive coordinator and Ted Roof as defensive coordinator.

In response to an open-records request by USA Today, OU released documents Friday outlining the basic framework of Lebby’s and Roof’s deals.

Lebby will be one of the highest-paid assistants in college football next season, agreeing to a three-year, $5.7 million deal.

He’ll be paid $1.8 million next season, with annual increases of $100,000.

Roof’s deal is for three years, $3.45 million. He will make $1.1 million during the 2022 season with annual increases of $50,000 in each of the next two seasons.

Both deals also call for a $90,000 bonus should the Sooners win a national title.

Lebby’s and Roof’s deal are subject to approval by the OU Board of Regents. The regents aren’t scheduled to meet again until March.

More: How much will Jeff Lebby, Ted Roof make as OU football coordinators?

Lebby has been Ole Miss’ offensive coordinator for the last two seasons and will be with the Rebels for the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1 before joining the Sooners’ staff full time.

Roof spent last season as a defensive analyst for Clemson, where he assisted Venables.

In addition to those two hires and the three announced Friday, Venables already announced that offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh, tight ends/H-backs coach Joe Jon Finley, inside receivers coach Cale Gundy and running back coach DeMarco Murray would return. Though specific roles haven’t been announced for those four, all are expected to serve in similar roles on Venables’ staff, with Gundy likely coaching all receivers.

Schmidt was the Sooners’ strength and conditioning coach from 1999-2017.

“I enjoyed my time (at Texas A&M) and in the SEC, but it wasn’t a hard decision for me to come back,” Schmidt said in a release. “I got the same feeling when Brent called me that I got when Bob (Stoops) called me to join him in Norman when he got hired.”

Hall is a Newcastle native and OU alum who was a student assistant for the Sooners from 1998-2000, a graduate assistant from 2001-03 and a quality control assistant from 2004-05.

“To see him continue to bloom at each of his stops has been really cool for me, all the way to being one of the best defensive coordinators in college football the last few years at Troy,” Venables said in a release. “He’s been a leader, he’s loyal, he’s tough, he’s smart, he’s really innovative and he connects well with the players. They’re in for a treat.”

More: Which players are committed to Oklahoma football's 2022 recruiting class?

Hall spent the 2021 season as Troy's defensive coordinator after coaching outside linebackers and serving as special teams coordinator in 2020.

Hall also spent time at Jacksonville State, Auburn, and Arkansas State. He began his full-time coaching career as Northern Iowa's linebackers coach in 2006 before serving as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Broken Arrow in 2007 and then spending three seasons at Central Oklahoma as defensive coordinator.

He returned to OU as a quality control assistant in 2011.

“I’ve always believed that your identity as a coach is your foundation, and my foundation is Coach Stoops and Coach Venables,” Hall said. “I’ve been able to go out and develop my own style and develop as a coach and person, but to be able to come back and be a part of the OU tradition is something I can't describe.”

Chavis has spent the past five years with Venables at Clemson as a defensive player development coach, helping the off-field development of the Tigers' defensive line.

He played at Clemson from 2007-10, going into the seminary after a professional playing career before beginning his coaching career.

“He was a real blessing to me at Clemson in our room as we built that program — on defense, in particular,” Venables said. “He’s very passionate, he’s intense, players love him. He’s very gifted as a coach, as a communicator, teacher and mentor. And he’s high on life. We have a lot of similarities, even in our journeys. These players are really fortunate with what they’re getting. He’s genuine and authentic and will connect with him.”

Alamo Bowl

OU VS. OREGON: 8:15 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 29, at the Alamodome in San Antonio (ESPN)

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OU football: Brent Venables makes more Sooners staff hires official