Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables said tight ends coach Jason Witten will serve as the team's offensive coordinator and play-caller for the remainder of the 2026 season. Venables said in a statement that Witten will lead the offensive staff in preparing a plan for the players.
Witten replaces Ben Arbuckle, who was relieved of his duties Monday. Venables thanked Arbuckle for his two years with the program and said the results did not match what the team wanted.
Witten spent 16 seasons with the Dallas Cowboys, where he set franchise records for career receptions and receiving yards. His 13,046 career receiving yards as a tight end rank second in NFL history, behind Tony Gonzalez. Oklahoma hired Witten to its staff in January. He previously was head coach and play-caller at Liberty Christian School in Argyle, Texas, where his teams won back-to-back state titles in 2023 and 2024.
Oklahoma is averaging 22 points per game through eight contests, a rank of 109 out of 138 FBS teams.