Oklahoma is moving on from offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle, according to multiple reports Monday. First-year tight ends coach Jason Witten is expected to take over, with analyst (and former OU OC) Kevin Wilson taking on an increased role.
The move comes two days after OU fell to 4-4 (2-3 SEC) with a 42-25 home loss to South Carolina that wasn’t as close as the final score. The Sooners trailed 28-10 at halftime, with the touchdown coming on a pick-six from linebacker Kip Lewis and the offense being outscored 307-71. The score was 42-16 before Oklahoma added two cosmetic scores in the final 10 minutes.
“Incredibly pissed at myself and all of us,” head coach Brent Venables said. “It’s just embarrassing. It’s embarrassing in every way.”
Of course, Monday’s decision wasn’t limited to Saturday.
Arbuckle, 31, drew comparisons to Lincoln Riley when he arrived in Norman with experience in West Texas and a quick rise through the coaching ranks. Arbuckle was a package deal with quarterback John Mateer after the two worked together at Washington State, and that arrangement didn’t pan out for the Sooners. Mateer has thrown 27 touchdowns against 18 interceptions in 20 starts while ranking 88th and 63rd nationally in passing efficiency.
As a unit, Oklahoma ranked 79th a year ago and sits at 108th today, averaging 22 points per game.
Elsewhere, OU is 115th in yards per play (5.18), 128th in rushing (106.75 yards per game) and 98th in explosive plays (less than four per game).
The move will raise further questions about Venables. This is the second time in three seasons that Venables has made a midseason offensive coordinator move, having fired Seth Littrell (a guard on OU’s 2000 national team) seven games into the 2024 season.
Overall, Venables is 36-24 in OU with a 19-19 mark in conference. His tenure followed a bullwhip pattern – 6-7 marks in 2022 and 2024, with 10-3 seasons in 2023 and 2025. The 2026 season followed this pattern. After signing Venables to an extension, which wasn’t finalized until October, with a buyout worth more than $50 million, Venables is heading into his second make-or-break coordinator hire in three offseasons.
As always, stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest news.
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