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Sooners FootballTuesday, November 3

Oklahoma fires Ben Arbuckle and hands the offense to Jason Witten

The Good Day Norman teamFrom today’s edition · 1 min read · 5 sources

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Oklahoma fired offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle on Monday with four games left in the regular season. Tight ends coach Jason Witten is the coordinator and will call plays. The Sooners are 4-4 overall and 2-3 in the SEC after a 42-25 home loss to South Carolina.

Oklahoma's offense is down on yards and points from last year

336.9Yards per game354.3
22.0Points per game26.2

Source: Newsday

The offense is 111th in total offense and 108th in scoring. Arbuckle's contract was set to run through 2027. “We need a change,” Venables said in a statement.

  • Next game: at No. 25 Florida, Saturday, 6:45 p.m. CT, SEC Network
  • Florida's record: 5-3 overall, 3-3 in the SEC
  • Tight end touchdown catches: five through eight games, one in 2025

Oklahoma's offense ranks near the bottom nationally

111th
in total offense among 138 FBS teams
108th
in scoring offense
119th
in the running game
$1.5 million
a year in Arbuckle's contract

Sources: Newsday, Bengals Wire, The Oklahoman

Witten, an 11-time Pro Bowl tight end, led Liberty Christian in Argyle, Texas, to state titles in 2023 and 2024, but he has never been a college offensive coordinator. It's the second midseason coordinator firing under Venables, after Seth Littrell in 2024.

Sources: News On 6, Newsday, Bengals Wire, The Oklahoman, KOKH

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