Ole Miss offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby
Lebby began his coaching career as a student assistant at Oklahoma from 2002-06, and has since ascended to become one of the more respected offensive minds in the collegiate game. He's never been a head coach, but has commanded one of the more prolific offenses in the entire FBS at Ole Miss since taking the job in 2020. Several sources have indicated to OUInsider that Lebby could be among the lead candidates for the vacancy.
Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables
Venables served as Oklahoma's linebackers coach from 1999-2003, then as defensive coordinator from 2003-11. The Sooners then let him walk in order to bring back Mike Stoops, and Venables has since served as defensive coordinator under Dabo Swinneyat Clemson. He's helped the Tigers to two national championships during his tenure with the program. Though he's the highest-paid defensive coordinator in college football, he's never jumped at the opportunity to become a head coach. Nevertheless, sources tell OUInsider that the Sooners could make a strong push to bring him back.
South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer
Beamer is wrapping up his first season with the Gamecocks after serving as Oklahoma's associate head coach, tight ends coach and special teams coordinator from 2018-20. He's done a tremendous job in his first year as a head coach, as South Carolina is bowl eligible in 2021 after winning just two games last season. By all accounts, Beamer loved his time in Norman, and if the price is right, he could be willing to double back to the Sooner State.
San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel
A well-placed source close to the Oklahoma program told OUInsider that McDaniel could be a sleeper candidate for the position. The Yale grad is in his first season as the Niners' OC, and he's one of the hottest up-and-coming names in the coaching market. The only reason for reticence is the fact that he's never coached at the collegiate level in any capacity.
Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops
The only member of the Stoops coaching fraternity that hasn't yet made a stop in Norman, Mark is in his ninth season as Kentucky's head coach, and led the Wildcats to a 9-3 regular-season mark in 2021. They're primed to make a sixth straight bowl appearance. Stoops' age (54) and his defensive-minded mentality don't make him a sexy hire, but especially given his familial ties to the university, he's a name to monitor.
Carolina Panthers offensive coordinator Joe Brady
Caleb Williams was very seriously considering LSU when Brady was the Tigers' offensive coordinator, and he called the shots for arguably the greatest offense in the history of college football; LSU's 2019 team went 15-0 and famously pounded Oklahoma 63-28 in the Peach Bowl behind eight touchdown passes from Heisman Trophy winner Joe Burrow. If the Sooners want to keep Williams in Norman, Brady may be their best bet.
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Former Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops
The local legend has already been announced as the Sooners' interim head coach for the bowl game, and it's not out of the question that he could return to his old post in the aftermath of his hand-picked successor's departure. Stoops coached Oklahoma for eighteen seasons, and led the program to its most recent national title in 2000. He's the winningest head coach in school history, and bleeds crimson through and through. If no home-run hire emerges, Stoops could very well serve as a stopgap for a year or two until OU lines up a long-term solution.
