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Oklahoma hiring Washington State’s Ben Arbuckle as new offensive coordinator

Matt Connollyby:Matt Connolly•12/02/24•

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OU Brent Venables
Nov 9, 2024; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Oklahoma Sooners head coach Brent Venables reacts prior to a game against the Missouri Tigers at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

Brent Venables has his new offensive coordinator. Oklahoma is hiring Ben Arbuckle to lead the Sooners offense, according to On3’s Pete Nakos. ESPN first reported the news. The former Washington State OC is set to sign a three-year deal with Oklahoma, ESPN reports.

Nakos posted the news Monday afternoon, just a couple of days after the college football regular season came to an end. In addition to working Washington State as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach the past two seasons, Arbuckle was also previously an assistant at Western Kentucky for two seasons.

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Ben Arbuckle and Washington State had a strong year on offense in 2024. The Cougars finished with an 8-4 record and ranked No. 12 nationally in scoring offense at 36.8 points per game.

Washington State also ranked No. 22 nationally in total offense, averaging 440.4 yards per game.

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This is clearly an important hire for Oklahoma and Brent Venables. The Sooners are 6-6 on the season and are coming off of a 37-17 loss at LSU this past Saturday.

Oklahoma has had a solid defense this season as the Sooners are allowing only 318 yards per game, which ranks No. 22 nationally. However, Oklahoma is No. 121 nationally in total offense at 322.5.

The Sooners fired offensive coordinator Seth Littrell back in October. Venables explained the decision at the time.

“As I said on my radio show last night, we made a decision to make a change at offensive coordinator,” Venables told reporters. “Coach Finley, along with Kevin Johns, into new roles. Working together, Coach Johns to coach our quarterbacks and Coach Finley and the rest of the staff, Kevin included, putting together game plans, we’ll call it, on game days. Incredibly hard decision on many levels, and then, 10,000-foot lens, not so difficult. We’re not playing winning football on that side of the ball, and thought a change would be appropriate. And a change in leadership and voice and perspective and lens, strategy, game-planning, sequencing, all those things that go along with that position.”