Oklahoma reportedly adding James Dobson as assistant strength coach

Oklahoma and Brent Venables continue to make moves to finalize his first staff at OU.

One of the hires that was met with the greatest reception from the fanbase was Jerry Schmidt’s return to Oklahoma as the Sooners’ director of sports enhancement and strength and conditioning.

Now, On3’s Matt Zenitz is reporting that OU has hired James Dobson as an assistant strength coach. Dobson spent seven years as Nebraska’s head strength coach under then-Nebraska head football coach Bo Pelini and helped with the implementation of Nebraska’s athletic performance lab.

Most recently, Dobson joined Vanderbilt in 2015 as the head strength coach under then-head coach Derek Mason.

Dobson brings experience leading a power-five strength and conditioning program to Oklahoma. It’s another impressive puzzle piece for Venables and Schmidt.

In a release from Oklahoma announcing Schmidt’s hiring on Dec. 17, Schmidt discussed why a return to OU made sense for him.

“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,” Schmidt said.

Venables addressed why the addition of Schmidt was pivotal for the direction of his program in that release on Dec. 17.

“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,” Venables said.

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