Jason Witten is getting his first opportunity to call plays at the college level.

Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables announced Monday, Nov. 2, that Witten will take over as the Sooners' interim offensive coordinator following the dismissal of Ben Arbuckle. Witten, who joined Oklahoma's staff in January as tight ends coach, will serve as the team's offensive play-caller for the remainder of the 2026 season.

The move comes after Oklahoma's offense struggled through the first eight games of the season. The Sooners are 4-4 overall and 2-3 in SEC play, including a 42-25 loss to South Carolina on Saturday, Oct. 31. Oklahoma has scored 22 points per game this season, leaving plenty of room for improvement as it enters the final stretch of its schedule.

"I have decided to make a change at offensive coordinator," Venables said in a statement. "My responsibility is to the whole team and what I believe is best for us right now. We need a change."

Witten, 44, brings an extensive playing background but relatively limited experience coaching at the college level. He spent 17 seasons playing in the NFL, primarily with the Dallas Cowboys, earning 11 Pro Bowl selections and two first-team All-Pro honors. He finished his career with 1,228 receptions for 13,046 yards and 74 touchdowns, ranking fourth in NFL history in career receptions.

After retiring following the 2020 season, Witten transitioned into coaching, taking over as head coach at Liberty Christian School in Argyle, Texas. He spent five seasons leading the Warriors, guiding the program to consecutive Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools state championships in 2023 and 2024.

Liberty Christian went a combined 26-1 during those two championship seasons, averaging more than 50 points per game.

Witten's first season in Norman has also produced encouraging results for Oklahoma's tight ends. The position group has already accounted for five receiving touchdowns through eight games after recording just one during the entire 2025 season. Rocky Beers leads SEC tight ends with four touchdown receptions and ranks fifth nationally at the position with 55.8 receiving yards per game.

Witten's son, Cooper, is one of the nation's top linebacker prospects in the 2027 recruiting class. A five-star recruit at Liberty Christian and a member of USA TODAY Sports midseason All-America team, Cooper committed to Oklahoma in March, choosing the Sooners over Georgia, Tennessee and Texas A&M. He is considered a consensus top-three linebacker nationally and recorded 87 tackles, two sacks and an interception during his junior season.

Cooper had already developed a relationship with Oklahoma before his father joined Venables' staff, making three unofficial visits to Norman dating back to June 2024.