'Doesn’t get any better than this': New OU coach Brent Venables greeted by raucous reception in Norman

NORMAN — Just as the plane touched down at Max Westheimer Airport, the first notes of Ozzy Osbourne’s “Crazy Train” blared over the speakers.

By the time the plane’s doors opened, the Oklahoma wind whipped across the runway as temperatures dipped.

The thousands of fans who’d made their way to the airport throughout the day weren’t put off by the turn in the weather.

The Pride of Oklahoma band was there. So were the OU cheerleaders and mascots. Even the Sooner Schooner and the two white ponies that give it power were waiting on the tarmac.

Welcome back to Norman, Brent Venables.

The longtime Sooners assistant, who spent the last decade terrorizing opposing offenses as Clemson’s defensive coordinator, was officially announced as Lincoln Riley’s replacement just before 9 p.m. Sunday night. About 50 minutes later, the plane carrying Venables, his family, OU athletic director Joe Castiglione and OU president Joe Harroz touched down.

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A Bedlam loss, followed by Riley’s stunning departure to USC had Sooners fans reeling a week earlier.

At least in the short term, Venables’ hire injected plenty of energy into a fan base that was in need of it.

That became apparent throughout the day at the airport, as the crowd slowly built through the early part of the evening, a trickle turning into a flood throughout the night.

“You all are on fire tonight,” Venables said.

By the time the plane ferrying Venables back from the east took off from the Palmetto State, the crowd was swelling like a gaggle of teenage girls trying to get a peek of the Beatles in the 1960s.

By the time the plane arrived, fans held up signs and banners, at least one took off his shirt to reveal an OU logo painted on his chest. A large group of fans had to be shooed off the roof of the airport, though the group later rematerialized as they tried to get a glimpse of Venables.

“We left and it was great, but coming back to this?,” Venables said as he fielded a couple questions from Toby Rowland, OU’s radio voice. “Absolutely…”

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And then the rest of Venables’ answer was drowned out by the crowd.

The blanks are easy to fill in, though.

After plenty of pictures and hugs — many with people Venables and his family knew well during Venables’ 1999-2011 run on Bob Stoops’ staff — he made his way to the fence where the fans waited, running up and down the line delivering dozens of high fives.

Once Rowland’s questions ended, the 50-year-old Venables took the mic and addressed the crowd himself.

“Thank you and keep being you,” Venables said. “You make this place so special. People have no idea of the love and appreciation that y’all have for your program. This is one of the richest, storied programs in the history of college football.

“But it’s not just all the success, it’s the true passion and love that y’all have in this state for your team. We separate ourselves. There’s a lot of good football programs out there, but there’s only one OU.”

Venables was officially introduced as the Sooners coach during an event Monday morning at the Everest Training Center, a block east of Gaylord Family — Oklahoma Memorial Stadium.

“I really have a deep passion and love for my job,” Venables said. “It doesn’t seem like work when you love what you do. To have the opportunity … the first time to lead a program and it’s Oklahoma? Are you kidding me? It doesn’t get any better than this. It really doesn’t.”

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This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OU football fans give Brent Venables raucous reception upon arrival