Brent Venables could be making big splash by adding future Pro Football Hall of Famer to coaching staff
There is plenty of interest between the Oklahoma Sooners and future NFL Hall of Famer Jason Witten to replace Joe Jon Finley.
The Oklahoma Sooners made a huge move towards fixing their offense this week when they fired tight ends coach Joe Jon Finley, a move that fans had been clamoring for for years. The position room had struggled for years, and this year finally proved to be the last straw after the room often wrecked promising drives single-handedly.
Brent Venables and the rest of the Sooners’ staff have already launched a nationwide search to find a replacement for Finley, but there’s a hot name that many Oklahoma fans already might be very familiar with who has become perhaps the early favorite for the job.
Dallas Cowboys legend could be joining Sooners staff
There’s a former NFL tight end who has been looking to make a jump into the upper tiers of coaching in recent years, and the Sooners could be his shot into the big ranks. Former Dallas Cowboys tight end Jason Witten has spent the last five seasons as the head coach at Liberty Christian High School in Texas. Over the last three years, Liberty Christian has gone 35-5 with Witten at the helm and have a pair of Texas state championships to show for it.
Witten is obviously one of the best tight ends in NFL and Cowboys history, holding the second-most career receptions and receiving yards for the position, along with Dallas Cowboys franchise records for receptions, yards, and games played, and the NFL tight end record for most games played. The four-time All-Pro and 11-time Pro Bowler is a member of the Texas Sports Hall of Fame.
His name recognition and pedigree buys him a lot of goodwill on the recruiting trail, but his track record as a coach is intriguing. At Liberty Christian, he turned a struggling program into a multi-state champion in Texas virtually overnight. While we don’t know exactly how he will be with just one room to manage, his experience and pedigree brings a good deal of credibility to his ability as a coach, something the Sooners haven’t really had in that room for years.
Additionally, Witten has a strong connection with current Oklahoma running backs coach Demarco Murray, as the two were teammates in Dallas. Witten’s son, Cooper, is a five-star recruit in the 2027 class that the Sooners have been heavily recruiting for years now as well.
Witten has never coached at the collegiate ranks before, but his acumen and ability are well-documented. Jerry Jones was only half-joking when he remarked about hiring Witten to lead the Cowboys some months ago. It’s a risky hire, but this feels like the splash move the Sooners need to kickstart the rebuild in that room.
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