Oklahoma has turned to Jason Witten to steady its offense, naming the former Dallas Cowboys star as interim offensive coordinator and playcaller for the rest of the season.
The school announced Monday that Witten, who is in his first year as Oklahoma’s tight ends coach, will take over the job after Ben Arbuckle was booed following a rough showing in Saturday’s 42-25 loss to South Carolina. The Sooners did not get to 100 yards of offense until late in the third quarter in that game.
“Coach Witten will serve as offensive coordinator and play-caller for the remainder of the season," Oklahoma coach Brent Venables said in a statement. "Beginning today, he will lead our offensive staff in preparing a clear and focused plan that gives our players the best opportunity to execute with confidence."
Witten arrives at the position with no college coordinator experience, but he does bring a long coaching and playing background. Before joining Oklahoma, he spent five years leading Liberty Christian School in Argyle, Texas, and guided the program to a pair of state titles.
As a player, he spent 17 seasons at tight end in the NFL, including 16 with the Cowboys. The 11-time Pro Bowler finished with 1,228 catches, 13,046 receiving yards and 74 touchdowns, ranking fourth all-time in league history in receptions.
His first chance to run the offense at the college level comes Saturday at Florida.
Witten has already talked this season about what coaching high school players taught him after a career in the NFL.
"The greatest teaching tool for me was coaching high school because it really taught me, coming from the NFL, that they don't learn like I do," he said. "I learned they don't have the same expectation. So how do I impact, how do I reach them, how do I get that?"
Arbuckle’s exit comes after a rocky stretch in his second season as an offensive coordinator, following his previous stop at Washington State. Oklahoma managed only 10 points in a loss at Michigan, then scored 14 in a narrow win over New Mexico.
The Sooners briefly eased the pressure with a 27-24 upset of then-No. 1 Texas, but the offense slid again after that, in a 21-13 home loss to Kentucky, a narrow escape against a Mississippi State team without its starting quarterback, and then the lopsided defeat to South Carolina.
One area that has held up for Oklahoma is Witten’s tight end room. Rocky Beers is second on the team with 34 catches for 446 yards and leads the Sooners with four touchdown receptions.
He also ranks first in the SEC and fifth nationally among tight ends with 55.8 receiving yards per game. Hayden Hansen has added seven catches for 84 yards and a touchdown.
Witten will also have to make an early call at quarterback. John Mateer, who followed Arbuckle from Washington State, has been inconsistent, while the backups are Whitt Newbauer and Bowe Bentley.
Venables said he still sees a path forward for the Sooners.
“I believe we still have meaningful opportunities ahead and a responsibility to maximize them," he said. "Our expectations remain high and our commitment to meeting them is unwavering."
In Other News...
OU Fans Now Face A Brutal Offensive Staff Reality
The loss to South Carolina laid bare how quickly the mood around Oklahoma can turn when the defense slips and the offense cannot cover for it. A 42-25 defeat after a season in which the Sooners had leaned on strong defensive play left the team staring at a finished College Football Playoff chase, while junior wide receiver Ivan Carreon at least gave the offense a bright spot with a career-high two touchdowns.
Now the attention shifts to what comes next for an offense under coordinator Ben Arbuckle that has ranked poorly nationally and has fueled plenty of talk about possible staff changes. Brent Venables did not confirm anything after the game, but the uncertainty around the offensive side is hard to ignore, especially with the season's bigger goals already out of reach. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma Just Made The Move Fans Knew This Offense Needed
Oklahomas offense has been searching for answers all season, and the latest shake-up arrived after the home loss to South Carolina. Ben Arbuckle is out as offensive coordinator, a move that underscores just how far the Sooners have fallen on that side of the ball while ranking near the bottom nationally in total offense and scoring.
Jason Witten, the tight ends coach, will handle the playcalling the rest of the way, giving Oklahoma a new voice in a season that has already demanded too many adjustments. For a program that expected more stability and production, the change is as much about urgency as it is about hope, with the Sooners now asking a different set of hands to try to steady an offense that has not found its footing. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma Just Took A Major Backcourt Hit Before Paris
A promising piece of Oklahomas backcourt depth has been knocked out before the Sooners even get to Paris. Sophomore guard Keeley Parks suffered a non-contact knee injury in practice and will miss the 2026-27 season, a tough blow for a program that had been counting on her development heading into the new year.
Parks is still scheduled to undergo surgery after the teams trip to France, and the Sooners have made clear theyll be around her through the recovery process. For Jennie Baranczyks group, the timing is especially rough with an overseas trip ahead, and it leaves Oklahoma to adjust its guard rotation while Parks begins a long rehab road back. [Read more 🡒]