Bio

Luke Venne completed his 19th season as an assistant coach at UW-Oshkosh, including the 14th in a full-time capacity, in 2021. Venne, the program’s offensive coordinator the past six seasons, directed the Titans' running game in prior years. The 2020 season was canceled due to the novel cornavirus pandemic.

Since becoming the UW-Oshkosh offensive coordinator, 10 Titan offensive players have combined for a total of 13 NCAA Division III All-America awards, including quarterback Brett Kasper, who earned the 2017 Gagliardi Trophy and was named 2017 D3football.com Offensive Player of the Year. During his tenure as offensive coordinator, Venne’s offense has also featured 10 players garnering a total of 12 All-Region honors and 15 players receiving a total of 21 All-WIAC First Team accolades.

Venne's prolific offenses since taking over the offensive coordinator role in 2015 have established program season records for rushing yards (3,725 in 2016), rushing touchdowns (44 in 2016), passing yards (3,487 in 2015), passing touchdowns (36 in 2017) and points scored (550 in 2015). The top three scoring seasons in school history have all been under Venne's direction as the Titans put up 543 points in both 2016 and 2017.

Last year the Titans scored 32.4 points per game under Venne while averaging 399 yards per contest, including 188.1 yards on the ground. UW-Oshkosh ranked third in the country with a mere three interceptions thrown and paced the conference with just three fumbles lost on the year to help the squad list second in Division III with six turnovers lost. The productive and efficient Titans were also second nationally by allowing 2.50 tackles for loss per game. The Titans offense featured Division III Rimington Award repeat winner and First Team All-American Mike Olsen among two All-WIAC First Team selections.

In the 2019 season, Venne’s UW-Oshkosh offense scored 26.5 points per game and led the conference with 1.27 sacks allowed per contest as the Titans had three selections on the All-WIAC First Team Offense. UW-Oshkosh had 311 rushing yards against UW-River Falls and 482 total yards of offense against Huntingdon College (Ala.).

During the 2018 campaign, UW-Oshkosh's offense averaged 20.5 points and 303.7 yards per game under Venne. The Titans, who had two offensive players named to the all-conference first team, rolled up a season-best 48 points and 543 yards during a win over UW-River Falls.

In 2017 Venne and the Titan offense set the school record with 36 touchdown passes while ranking second in the country with a 189.11 passing efficiency rating. UW-Oshkosh also ranked seventh nationally in first downs (302) and 10th in scoring offense (41.8).  Venne's offense paced the WIAC in scoring, yards per game (484.5) and rushing yards per contest (239.8) on the way to a trip to the semifinal round of the NCAA Division III Championship. Venne helped Titan quarterback Brett Kasper garner numerous awards, including the program's first winner of the Gagliardi Trophy for Division III's most outstanding player in 2017. Kasper, a two-time WIAC Offensive Player of the Year, also concluded the 2017 season with D3football.com Offensive Player of the Year honors and All-America first team accolades on the Associated Press Little All-America Team.

In 2016 Venne helped guide UW-Oshkosh to its first appearance in the Division III championship game. The Titans averaged 36.2 points per game and rolled up a school-record 3,725 yards rushing. Venne's offense scored more than 40 points seven times during the season, including 77 against Morthland College (Ill.) and 68 against Finlandia University (Mich.). The 77-point outburst was the second highest scoring output in program history.

In 2015 Venne's offense produced a school-record 550 points as quarterback Brett Kasper was named the WIAC Offensive Player of the Year, and tight end Joe Sommers and offensive lineman Sam Versnik garnered All-America recognition. The Titans ranked fifth in the NCAA Division III in red zone efficiency (.900), seventh in first downs (308), eighth in third down conversion rate (.503), 13th in passing efficiency rating (166.61) and 15th in total yards per game (500.3). UW-Oshkosh became the first WIAC program to score 60 points in a game three times in one season and established a program record for points in one game during an 86-0 victory over Finlandia University (Mich.).

Venne helped center Garrett Porter earn All-America status and guard Rob Bikowski gain all-region recognition in 2013, when the Titans averaged a WIAC-leading 197.9 rushing yards per game.

Venne’s unit rushed for a school-record 3,363 yards and 38 touchdowns in 2012. Tackle Brandon Peter and center Ben Strehlow received All-America awards, as the Titans ran for 250 yards or more five times. That season Venne was named WIAC Co-Assistant Coach of the Year.

In 2011 Venne’s group helped the Titans lead the WIAC in total offense (422 yards per game) and rank second in rushing (211).

Venne’s group blocked for three different 420-yard rushers during the 2009 season. In 2008 he coached an offensive line that helped UW-Oshkosh rank 38th in the NCAA Division III in rushing offense. In 2006 the Titans ranked 30th nationally in rushing.

Venne was a four-year football letter winner at UW-Oshkosh. He appeared in 35 games for the Titans from 1998-2001, including 27 as a starting offensive tackle. Venne earned his bachelor’s and master's degrees from UW-Oshkosh in 2004 and 2013, respectively.

Venne is a graduate of Oconomowoc High School. He and his wife, Brooke, have two daughters, Allicyn and Whytni. 

(2/9/2022)