Completed Event: Football versus Illinois State on August 30, 2025 , Win , 35, to, 3
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Football
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3
University of Oklahoma Athletics
Venables Adds Schmidt, Hall, Chavis to OU Staff
December 17, 2021 | Football
NORMAN — Oklahoma head football coach Brent Venables announced three more staff hires Friday, and two of them have previously worked at OU. Jerry Schmidt returns to Norman as director of sports enhancement and strength and conditioning, former defensive assistant Brandon Hall is the Sooners' new safeties coach and former Clemson defensive assistant Miguel Chavis (CHAY-viss) is OU's new defensive ends coach.
Schmidt, who led Oklahoma's strength and conditioning efforts from 1999-17, returns to OU after a four-year stint as director of athletic performance at Texas A&M. He also coached at Florida (1995-98), Notre Dame (1987, 1989-94) and Oklahoma State (1988).
Schmidt has trained seven Heisman Trophy winners – Kyler Murray, Baker Mayfield, Sam Bradford and Jason White at Oklahoma, Danny Wuerffel at Florida, Barry Sanders at Oklahoma State and Tim Brown at Notre Dame – and has worked with 30 NFL first-round selections, 66 first-team All-Americans and dozens of major award winners. He has also trained teams that played in six national championship games and has been a part of national championship squads at Oklahoma (2000), Florida (1996) and Notre Dame (1988).
In addition to the 2000 national title, Schmidt helped the Sooners win 11 conference titles and nine bowl games in his 19 years in Norman. OU won 202 games in that time frame, an average of 10.6 victories per season.
Prior to Oklahoma, Schmidt served four seasons on Steve Spurrier's staff at Florida (1995-98). He got his coaching start at Notre Dame on Lou Holtz's staff in 1987 as an assistant and returned to South Bend as the strength and conditioning coordinator in 1989 after a year at Oklahoma State.
A native of Harvard, Neb., Schmidt earned his bachelor's degree in 1986 from Nebraska, where he learned under Tom Osborne and Boyd Epley, and earned another degree from Oklahoma in 2001.
Hall, an OU alumnus and former staff assistant, has led Troy's defense for the last three seasons after spending one year as the program's outside linebackers coach and special teams coordinator. A 20-year coaching veteran, he has been in charge of tutoring linebackers, outside linebackers, safeties and special teams units.
Troy's defense posted one of the best turnarounds in the nation in 2020, improving 63 spots nationally in scoring defense and 38 spots in total defense from 2019. The Trojans led the country with four defensive scores, held four of their final six opponents to 20 or fewer points and finished the season as the No. 15 defense nationally, according to PFF. Troy's 2021 unit ranks 27th nationally in total defense (337.8 ypg).
In Hall's first season at Troy, the Trojans ranked third nationally in takeaways, 10th in sacks and 16th in tackles for loss. They also ranked fourth in net punting and ninth in kickoff returns.
Prior to moving to Troy, Hall served as defensive coordinator and safeties coach at Jacksonville State (2014-17). In his four seasons at JSU, the Gamecocks registered a 31-0 record in Ohio Valley Conference play, won four conference titles and posted a 43-8 overall record. The record included no regular season losses to FCS opponents.
Jacksonville State's defense ranked among the top 20 nationally in each of Hall's four seasons, including top-five units in 2016 and '17. JSU finished fourth nationally in total defense in 2016 (247.9 ypg) and second in 2017 (239.6 ypg).
Hall was the safeties coach at Arkansas State in 2012 and served as a defensive quality control assistant at Auburn in 2013, helping the Tigers reach the BCS National Championship Game against Florida State.
A Newcastle, Okla., native, Hall served as a student assistant at Oklahoma from 1998-00 under Venables and then-head coach Bob Stoops, and was a member of OU's 2000 national championship staff. He then served as a graduate assistant for the Sooners from 2001-03 and a defensive quality control assistant from 2004-05, earning both his bachelor's and master's degrees from OU.
Hall's first full-time coaching role was in 2006 as linebackers coach at Northern Iowa. He was the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Broken Arrow High School in 2007 and spent three years at Central Oklahoma, including the 2009 and '10 seasons as defensive coordinator. He returned to OU in 2011 in a quality control position for one season.
Chavis spent the past five years at Clemson with Venables, serving in a defensive player development role. In that position, he contributed on defensive staffs that helped the Tigers reach four College Football Playoffs and win the 2018 national championship.
Working with Clemson's defensive line, Chavis assisted in the off-field development of 2019 NFL Draft picks Clelin Ferrell, Christian Wilkins, Dexter Lawrence and Austin Bryant. Ferrell (No. 4 overall), Wilkins (No. 13 overall) and Lawrence (No. 17 overall) were each selected in the first round while Bryant was a fourth-round pick.
A Fayetteville, N.C., native, Chavis was a defensive tackle at Clemson from 2007-10, totaling 71 tackles in 47 games. He helped the Tigers to four bowl games and the 2009 ACC Atlantic Division title before spending two years in professional football. In 2011 he signed a free-agent contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He spent 2012 with the UFL's Las Vegas Locos and was with the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2013 offseason.
He received his bachelor's degree from Clemson in 2014 and went into the seminary before joining Clemson's football staff.
Brent Venables on Jerry Schmidt
"That's a critical hire on so many levels. Jerry's values, expectations and standards align with mine and ours as a program. He's a detail guy, is super consistent and tough, but he's reasonable. He's the same guy whether you're winning by 40 or down by 14. I think it's important from a leadership standpoint that we have someone who has clear vision about what all of that looks like. So while his experience is tremendous, he's also an effective communicator and excellent motivator. He's going to bring out the absolute best in our guys. He'll stretch them and squeeze them in ways maybe they haven't been before, but it's going to benefit them and create the transferable skills both on the field and off. He's going to set them up for success for the rest of their lives."
Brent Venables on Brandon Hall
"Brandon is an Oklahoman and someone who worked with us for 10 years. He's the epitome of what the coaching profession should be all about, as far as development, putting in the work, creating opportunities through relationships and sweat equity, figuring stuff out, being mentored, having humility and taking some chances. I'm really proud about his growth and development. He was one of the first people I met when I came to Oklahoma in 1999 when he was a student assistant. 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. 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."
Brent Venables on Miguel Chavis
"Miguel is a great story. He's a former player at Clemson who was recruited by Coach (Dabo) Swinney and went on to play in the NFL, but he'd probably be the first to tell you he thought he would play there a lot longer. After going back to school, getting his degree and becoming an ordained minister, he found his calling in coaching. He was a real blessing to me at Clemson in our room as we built that program – on defense, in particular. 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 them. He's got a unique way of pulling the best out of people – adults and young people alike. He'll be a dynamic recruiter and a tenacious coach who will demand perfection. But he leads with optimism and love. That's what I love about him."
New OU Director of Sports Enhancement and Strength and Conditioning Coach Jerry Schmidt
"What immediately popped in my mind when I got the call from Brent is just how special OU is. I enjoyed my time (at Texas A&M) and in the SEC, but it wasn't a hard decision for me to come back. 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. Because Brent's like Bob. Brent's reputation around the country is about toughness, and that's what OU's about – toughness, working hard. That's what this whole state's about. I just want to come back and be a part of it. Like I said, this place is very special. It's about the great players who've been here, are here and are coming here, and their pursuit of championships. And I can feel it with the energetic staff he's putting together and the commitment to doing things the right way. I'm excited OU's going to the SEC because this program can definitely compete at that level. I'm looking forward to that challenge."
New OU Safeties Coach Brandon Hall
"When people talk about 'going home,' this is actually true in my case. I was born in Norman, so Oklahoma is a special place for me. I started my career here under Coach (Bob) Stoops, and both he and Coach Venables took a chance on me. They're a big reason I'm here. I've always believed that your identity as a coach is your foundation, and my foundation is Coach Stoops and Coach Venables. 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. Who I am as a coach and as a person has really been impacted by those two and how they approach the game – their aggressiveness, their tenacity and their standards. Coach Venables to me has always been about, 'OK, this is the standard; this is how we're going to operate and this is how we're going to live.' It's impacted me not only as a coach but in my personal life as well. When he called and asked me to join him at OU, it really wasn't a question for me. It was, 'I'm in.' This place is special to me. I'm going to do everything I can each day to live up to those expectations and standards, because if there's anybody who understands them, it's me. I'm looking forward to growing and being a part of it all. There are great, great things ahead for this program."
New OU Defensive Ends Coach Miguel Chavis
"My family's thankful to be here and excited for the opportunity. This is a dream job. As a football fan, I've always looked at about four schools as the cream of the crop – Clemson, OU, Alabama and Ohio State. All I knew about OU is I thought they were at the top of college football and that my mentor Brent Venables came from there. This is what I've been preparing for, even back to my playing days at Clemson. I've always loved coaching – always wanted to know the 'why' behind what we were doing, loved preparing in the NFL and appreciated the different schemes and philosophies. The past five years I've been attending the Brent Venables school of defense, and I was getting a Ph. D. I'm excited to be with the guys and develop them on and off the field. That's my passion – to develop defensive ends into great players, but also into great men, great husbands, fathers and neighbors. And I get to do that through football. The fan base here is amazing and they have great energy. And that's perfect because I'm a passionate guy, an energy guy who will also bring knowledge, toughness and excitement. I can't wait. My biggest message to our current players is, 'You didn't choose me, but I chose you. I chose to be here and this is my dream job. And I'm excited and I'm ready.'"
Schmidt, who led Oklahoma's strength and conditioning efforts from 1999-17, returns to OU after a four-year stint as director of athletic performance at Texas A&M. He also coached at Florida (1995-98), Notre Dame (1987, 1989-94) and Oklahoma State (1988).
Schmidt has trained seven Heisman Trophy winners – Kyler Murray, Baker Mayfield, Sam Bradford and Jason White at Oklahoma, Danny Wuerffel at Florida, Barry Sanders at Oklahoma State and Tim Brown at Notre Dame – and has worked with 30 NFL first-round selections, 66 first-team All-Americans and dozens of major award winners. He has also trained teams that played in six national championship games and has been a part of national championship squads at Oklahoma (2000), Florida (1996) and Notre Dame (1988).
In addition to the 2000 national title, Schmidt helped the Sooners win 11 conference titles and nine bowl games in his 19 years in Norman. OU won 202 games in that time frame, an average of 10.6 victories per season.
Prior to Oklahoma, Schmidt served four seasons on Steve Spurrier's staff at Florida (1995-98). He got his coaching start at Notre Dame on Lou Holtz's staff in 1987 as an assistant and returned to South Bend as the strength and conditioning coordinator in 1989 after a year at Oklahoma State.
A native of Harvard, Neb., Schmidt earned his bachelor's degree in 1986 from Nebraska, where he learned under Tom Osborne and Boyd Epley, and earned another degree from Oklahoma in 2001.
Hall, an OU alumnus and former staff assistant, has led Troy's defense for the last three seasons after spending one year as the program's outside linebackers coach and special teams coordinator. A 20-year coaching veteran, he has been in charge of tutoring linebackers, outside linebackers, safeties and special teams units.
Troy's defense posted one of the best turnarounds in the nation in 2020, improving 63 spots nationally in scoring defense and 38 spots in total defense from 2019. The Trojans led the country with four defensive scores, held four of their final six opponents to 20 or fewer points and finished the season as the No. 15 defense nationally, according to PFF. Troy's 2021 unit ranks 27th nationally in total defense (337.8 ypg).
In Hall's first season at Troy, the Trojans ranked third nationally in takeaways, 10th in sacks and 16th in tackles for loss. They also ranked fourth in net punting and ninth in kickoff returns.
Prior to moving to Troy, Hall served as defensive coordinator and safeties coach at Jacksonville State (2014-17). In his four seasons at JSU, the Gamecocks registered a 31-0 record in Ohio Valley Conference play, won four conference titles and posted a 43-8 overall record. The record included no regular season losses to FCS opponents.
Jacksonville State's defense ranked among the top 20 nationally in each of Hall's four seasons, including top-five units in 2016 and '17. JSU finished fourth nationally in total defense in 2016 (247.9 ypg) and second in 2017 (239.6 ypg).
Hall was the safeties coach at Arkansas State in 2012 and served as a defensive quality control assistant at Auburn in 2013, helping the Tigers reach the BCS National Championship Game against Florida State.
A Newcastle, Okla., native, Hall served as a student assistant at Oklahoma from 1998-00 under Venables and then-head coach Bob Stoops, and was a member of OU's 2000 national championship staff. He then served as a graduate assistant for the Sooners from 2001-03 and a defensive quality control assistant from 2004-05, earning both his bachelor's and master's degrees from OU.
Hall's first full-time coaching role was in 2006 as linebackers coach at Northern Iowa. He was the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Broken Arrow High School in 2007 and spent three years at Central Oklahoma, including the 2009 and '10 seasons as defensive coordinator. He returned to OU in 2011 in a quality control position for one season.
Chavis spent the past five years at Clemson with Venables, serving in a defensive player development role. In that position, he contributed on defensive staffs that helped the Tigers reach four College Football Playoffs and win the 2018 national championship.
Working with Clemson's defensive line, Chavis assisted in the off-field development of 2019 NFL Draft picks Clelin Ferrell, Christian Wilkins, Dexter Lawrence and Austin Bryant. Ferrell (No. 4 overall), Wilkins (No. 13 overall) and Lawrence (No. 17 overall) were each selected in the first round while Bryant was a fourth-round pick.
A Fayetteville, N.C., native, Chavis was a defensive tackle at Clemson from 2007-10, totaling 71 tackles in 47 games. He helped the Tigers to four bowl games and the 2009 ACC Atlantic Division title before spending two years in professional football. In 2011 he signed a free-agent contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He spent 2012 with the UFL's Las Vegas Locos and was with the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2013 offseason.
He received his bachelor's degree from Clemson in 2014 and went into the seminary before joining Clemson's football staff.
Brent Venables on Jerry Schmidt
"That's a critical hire on so many levels. Jerry's values, expectations and standards align with mine and ours as a program. He's a detail guy, is super consistent and tough, but he's reasonable. He's the same guy whether you're winning by 40 or down by 14. I think it's important from a leadership standpoint that we have someone who has clear vision about what all of that looks like. So while his experience is tremendous, he's also an effective communicator and excellent motivator. He's going to bring out the absolute best in our guys. He'll stretch them and squeeze them in ways maybe they haven't been before, but it's going to benefit them and create the transferable skills both on the field and off. He's going to set them up for success for the rest of their lives."
Brent Venables on Brandon Hall
"Brandon is an Oklahoman and someone who worked with us for 10 years. He's the epitome of what the coaching profession should be all about, as far as development, putting in the work, creating opportunities through relationships and sweat equity, figuring stuff out, being mentored, having humility and taking some chances. I'm really proud about his growth and development. He was one of the first people I met when I came to Oklahoma in 1999 when he was a student assistant. 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. 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."
Brent Venables on Miguel Chavis
"Miguel is a great story. He's a former player at Clemson who was recruited by Coach (Dabo) Swinney and went on to play in the NFL, but he'd probably be the first to tell you he thought he would play there a lot longer. After going back to school, getting his degree and becoming an ordained minister, he found his calling in coaching. He was a real blessing to me at Clemson in our room as we built that program – on defense, in particular. 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 them. He's got a unique way of pulling the best out of people – adults and young people alike. He'll be a dynamic recruiter and a tenacious coach who will demand perfection. But he leads with optimism and love. That's what I love about him."
New OU Director of Sports Enhancement and Strength and Conditioning Coach Jerry Schmidt
"What immediately popped in my mind when I got the call from Brent is just how special OU is. I enjoyed my time (at Texas A&M) and in the SEC, but it wasn't a hard decision for me to come back. 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. Because Brent's like Bob. Brent's reputation around the country is about toughness, and that's what OU's about – toughness, working hard. That's what this whole state's about. I just want to come back and be a part of it. Like I said, this place is very special. It's about the great players who've been here, are here and are coming here, and their pursuit of championships. And I can feel it with the energetic staff he's putting together and the commitment to doing things the right way. I'm excited OU's going to the SEC because this program can definitely compete at that level. I'm looking forward to that challenge."
New OU Safeties Coach Brandon Hall
"When people talk about 'going home,' this is actually true in my case. I was born in Norman, so Oklahoma is a special place for me. I started my career here under Coach (Bob) Stoops, and both he and Coach Venables took a chance on me. They're a big reason I'm here. I've always believed that your identity as a coach is your foundation, and my foundation is Coach Stoops and Coach Venables. 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. Who I am as a coach and as a person has really been impacted by those two and how they approach the game – their aggressiveness, their tenacity and their standards. Coach Venables to me has always been about, 'OK, this is the standard; this is how we're going to operate and this is how we're going to live.' It's impacted me not only as a coach but in my personal life as well. When he called and asked me to join him at OU, it really wasn't a question for me. It was, 'I'm in.' This place is special to me. I'm going to do everything I can each day to live up to those expectations and standards, because if there's anybody who understands them, it's me. I'm looking forward to growing and being a part of it all. There are great, great things ahead for this program."
New OU Defensive Ends Coach Miguel Chavis
"My family's thankful to be here and excited for the opportunity. This is a dream job. As a football fan, I've always looked at about four schools as the cream of the crop – Clemson, OU, Alabama and Ohio State. All I knew about OU is I thought they were at the top of college football and that my mentor Brent Venables came from there. This is what I've been preparing for, even back to my playing days at Clemson. I've always loved coaching – always wanted to know the 'why' behind what we were doing, loved preparing in the NFL and appreciated the different schemes and philosophies. The past five years I've been attending the Brent Venables school of defense, and I was getting a Ph. D. I'm excited to be with the guys and develop them on and off the field. That's my passion – to develop defensive ends into great players, but also into great men, great husbands, fathers and neighbors. And I get to do that through football. The fan base here is amazing and they have great energy. And that's perfect because I'm a passionate guy, an energy guy who will also bring knowledge, toughness and excitement. I can't wait. My biggest message to our current players is, 'You didn't choose me, but I chose you. I chose to be here and this is my dream job. And I'm excited and I'm ready.'"
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