Oklahoma nears deal on new football coach

Oklahoma has targeted Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables as its head coach, a person familiar with the situation told USA TODAY Sports.

The person requested anonymity because the negotiations are supposed to be private.

Though there is no deal done between Oklahoma and Venables, the search had been tracking that way over the weekend and there was hope it could wrap up by Sunday.

Venables, 50, helped Clemson win two national titles and had been a target of several coaching searches in recent years but chose to stay and become the highest- paid assistant in the country at $ 2.5 million annually. His familiarity with Oklahoma, where he coached under Bob Stoops from 19992011, made it a much easier call to pursue this opportunity.

If a deal gets completed, Venables would replace Lincoln Riley, who left a week ago to take the Southern Cal job.

Cristobal update: Mario Cristobal’s name has been linked to the University of Miami for years, and now the Miami native finally could be coming home.

Cristobal is nearing a deal that would make him head football coach, The Palm Beach Post confirmed. Cristobal and the university are negotiating a contract that would pay the 51- yearold about $ 8 million a year.

Although Miami officials are hopeful, nothing has been signed and Cristobal still has a contract extension offer from Oregon he is considering.

Cristobal is 35- 13 in a little more than four years and has won two Pac- 12 titles at Oregon. He would take over for Manny Diaz, who would be out after three seasons. Diaz hadn’t been fired as of Sunday afternoon and was recruiting.