Oklahoma’s coaching staff has deep ties with Kansas State coach Bill Snyder. Those ties will be mentioned heavily in the coming weeks as the Wildcats look for Snyder’s successor.

Both OU defensive coordinator Brent Venables and offensive coordinator Chuck Long have been mentioned as possible candidates.

Venables played at Kansas State and was an assistant under Snyder for six seasons. When asked what level of interest he might have to return to Kansas State, he said it was too early in the process to start thinking about it.

“I’m caught off-guard like everybody else,” he said. “But there’s got to be mutual interest first and foremost. I’ve got a job to do right now and that’s where all my focus is.

“I haven’t answered any calls. I don’t know. It’s very premature right now to say the least.”

Long never coached under Snyder, but the two have had a long relationship. Snyder was the offensive coordinator at Iowa when Long played quarterback there from 1982-86.

Just like Venables, he was trying to digest the fact that Snyder was leaving the sideline.

“I haven’t really thought about any of that,” Long said. “It’s so sudden. I don’t know. I would listen to different things and different opportunities, of course. That’s an excellent opportunity for somebody. But right now, I haven’t thought about that.”

Snyder’s decision to retire came as a surprise throughout the Big 12. He’d been at Kansas State since 1989 and had the longest tenure of any coach in the conference.

OU coach Bob Stoops, an assistant under Snyder for seven seasons, praised the Kansas State coach.

“He gave me my first opportunity as a full-time coach. I’m fortunate that I was there for those first seven years,” he said. “Not only for me as a first-time full-time coach, but in such a growing period there at Kansas State. I learned a lot from him and I know I’m a better coach for having that time to help develop that program and to be around him every day, to see his persistence.”

Stoops believes Venables or Long would be a worthy successor.

“Hey, I’m all for my coaches, Brent and everyone else for what they want in their coaching careers,” Stoops said. “Brent’s an excellent coach, so if that’s something that goes in a positive direction, I’m all for it.

“I think there will be a lot of rumors and people jumping the gun to say they have the scoop, when I believe it will be way too premature. I think that’s something, as time goes, that will be worked through.”

Other names making the rounds include South Florida’s Jim Leavitt, SMU’s Phil Bennett and TCU’s Gary Patterson. Both Leavitt and Bennett coached under Snyder. Patterson is a Kansas State alum.