Steve Curtis | November 2nd, 2026
Oklahoma brought Ben Arbuckle to Norman to fix an offense that had become the program’s greatest limitation.
Less than two seasons later, the Sooners have relieved him of his duties.
Oklahoma is parting ways with its offensive coordinator, according to reporting from SoonerScoop.com. CBS Sports reporter Matt Zenitz first reported the news Monday.
The decision follows Saturday’s 42-25 loss to South Carolina, which dropped Oklahoma to 4-4. According to SoonerScoop, Brent Venables informed Arbuckle on Monday morning after meeting with university leadership Sunday night.
It was also reported that tight ends coach Jason Witten will assume offensive play-calling duties.
The change comes after another season in which Oklahoma’s offense has shown what it could become without consistently becoming it.
Arbuckle arrived from Washington State following the 2024 season, tasked with rebuilding an offense that had struggled under Seth Littrell. John Mateer followed him to Norman, giving Oklahoma a quarterback already familiar with the system and a coordinator who understood his strengths.
That familiarity has not produced the consistency Oklahoma needed.
The Sooners rank 108th nationally in scoring offense and 111th in total offense. But the frustration extends beyond where Oklahoma sits in the rankings.
The offense spent the offseason emphasizing a more physical run game, rebuilding its backfield and expanding its use of tight ends. Those changes were supposed to give Mateer more support and Oklahoma a dependable way to sustain possessions.
Against Michigan, that approach largely disappeared. Oklahoma’s running backs combined for just 13 carries, leaving Mateer responsible for creating most of the offense.
Against Georgia, the Sooners moved the ball well enough to create scoring opportunities. Three Mateer turnovers helped turn those opportunities into a 41-13 loss.
Injuries along the offensive line have complicated the process. So have breakdowns in protection and a quarterback whose best stretches have too often been undone by costly mistakes.
Those problems required answers from the staff responsible for developing the offense.
There were reasons to believe progress was possible. Mateer protected the football in the win over Texas, then delivered his most efficient performance as a Sooner against Mississippi State.
But even in Starkville, Oklahoma’s 467 yards produced only 23 points.
The offense could move the ball. Finishing possessions remained a problem.
Witten now inherits the responsibility of finding something Oklahoma can sustain through the remaining four regular-season games. In his first season on staff, he helped implement the expanded tight end packages that were part of the offseason’s proposed solution.
For Venables, the responsibility extends further.
He dismissed Littrell during the 2024 season. Now, another coordinator change leaves him facing the same question.
How does Oklahoma build an offense it can depend on?