Cowboys icon Jason Witten taking over offensive coordinator duties at Oklahoma

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Published November 2, 2026 6:21 PM CST

The Brief

    • Oklahoma football named tight ends coach Jason Witten as its interim offensive coordinator on Monday.
    • Witten, hired by the program in January, takes over for Ben Arbuckle, who was fired after multiple dismal offensive efforts by the Sooners this season.
    • The new Oklahoma OC starred for the Dallas Cowboys during his NFL career and previously served as a play-caller and head coach at Liberty Christian School in Argyle.

NORMAN, Oklahoma - A legendary football player who starred south of the Red River will now take on a high-profile coaching role north of the river.

Jason Witten named interim Oklahoma OC

What we know:

Oklahoma head football coach Brent Venables announced tight ends coach Jason Witten will serve as the team's offensive coordinator and play-caller for the rest of the team's 2026 season.

"Coach Witten will serve as offensive coordinator and play-caller for the remainder of the season. 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," Venables said in a statement.

NORMAN, OK - OCTOBER 31: Oklahoma Sooners tight ends coach Jason Witten talks to tight end Rocky Beers (81) during the college football game between the Oklahoma Sooners and the South Carolina Gamecocks  on October 31, 2026 at Gaylord Family Oklahoma

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Witten takes over for previous Sooners offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle, who was relieved of his duties on Monday.

"I want to thank Ben and all he contributed to us over the last two years. He is a fantastic coach, leader and teammate, and a great man. It didn't work like we all wanted it to, but I deeply appreciate the investment, love and passion he poured into our program. We wish his family nothing but the best," Venables said.

Local perspective:

Dallas Cowboys fans will recognize Witten from his long, decorated tenure with America's Team.

Witten spent 16 seasons with the Cowboys, compiling franchise records for career receptions and receiving yards. His 13,046 career receiving yards as a tight end rank second all-time in NFL history behind Tony Gonzalez.

Oklahoma hired Witten to its staff in January. He previously served as the head coach and play-caller at Liberty Christian School in Argyle, winning back-to-back state titles in 2023 and 2024.

ARLINGTON, TX - NOVEMBER 10: Dallas Cowboys Tight End Jason Witten (82) warms up prior to the game between the Minnesota Vikings and Dallas Cowboys on November 10, 2019 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX. (Photo by Andrew Dieb/Icon Sportswire via G

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By the numbers:

Witten's first order of business will be fixing an Oklahoma offense that has been out of sorts all season.

OU is scoring 22 points per game through eight contests, which ranks 109 out of 138 FBS teams. Their 336.9 yards per game is second last in the Southeastern Conference, ahead of only Arkansas.

The poor offense has Oklahoma stumbling to a 4-4 record after eight games and 2-3 in SEC play.

What's next:

Witten's first game as OU's play-caller will be on Saturday, November 7, when the Sooners travel to Gainesville to take on the Florida Gators.

That contest kicks off at 6:45 p.m. CT on the SEC Network.

The Source: Information in this story comes from an Oklahoma Sooners press release, ESPN, and sports-reference.com.

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