Cue the hot boards.
Brent Venables is once again looking for a new Oklahoma offensive coordinator after firing Ben Arbuckle on Monday in the midst of just his second season in the role. Tight ends coach Jason Witten will take over play-calling duties for the rest of the season, but Venables will eventually have to name a full-time replacement.
As lists of possible candidates are made, though, it's starting to feel like not just any great offensive coordinator can finally fix the Sooners' offense with Venables leading the program. He just tried to get the next big thing, only for Arbuckle to fall flat.
About the same time Venables hired Arbuckle, he also took full control of the defense with no true defensive coordinator to help carry the load. What Venables needs is an OC who is capable of taking charge of the unit with no babysitting. That will require an experienced coach who may have even had a stint as a head coach running an entire program, let alone just an offense.
Obviously, Associate Head of Offense Kevin Wilson is just that, and he even had success as OU's OC before, but this will likely be a hire Venables needs to look outward to find. He can't afford another whiff at this role. It also seems less likely Wilson will end up as OU's next OC after not taking over as interim.
That narrows the list of possibilities, but these are five candidates who fit the mold of what Venables needs in his next OC.
Tony Elliott, HC, Virginia
If trust is what Venables is looking for, then he'd already have that with Tony Elliott, who's on the hot seat right now as Virginia's head coach. If this is Elliott's final season leading the Cavaliers, then he'll be a coach on the market who not only fits this mold, but even has a prior connection to Venables.
Elliott was Venables' offensive counterpart at Clemson for six seasons before they both left in 2021 for head-coaching jobs. Like Venables, you could argue that Elliott doesn't have what it takes to be a head coach, but there's no denying he's a great coordinator.
The Tigers consistently had one of the best offenses in the country under Elliott, with stars at all positions, like Trevor Lawrence, Travis Etienne, Deshaun Watson, and Sammy Watkins. He won the Broyles Award in 2017 as the top assistant in college football.
Chip Kelly, OC, Northwestern
Chip Kelly has emerged as the name among OC candidates again for this year after reviving his successful career at Northwestern.
Kelly has been considered the greatest offensive mind in college football before, when he was OC and then head coach at Oregon. He then jumped to the NFL level as the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers.
His NFL stint somewhat derailed his career before returning to college to lead UCLA for six seasons. Kelly was then OC at Ohio State in 2024, when the Buckeyes won a national title, and spent one season back in the NFL as the Las Vegas Raiders' OC before ending up at Northwestern this season.
There's no doubt someone will pry Kelly away from Northwestern, which has a top-30 offense and a 6-2 record. Venables might need to go all in on Kelly because no one fits the mold of what he needs better than Kelly does.
Chip Kelly is DEEP in his bag 💰 pic.twitter.com/h6E3olyHJK
— Jake Franklin Football (@JakeFranklinFB) October 31, 2026
Kliff Kingsbury, AHC, Los Angeles Rams
This is the biggest long shot on this list, but the right pitch and amount of money could lure Kliff Kingsbury back to college football, where he found the most success ever in his career.
OU fans are familiar with Kingsbury from his time as Texas Tech's head coach with Patrick Mahomes at QB. His defenses were atrocious, but the Sooners only need to care about the fact that Kingsbury's offenses lit up scoreboards.
Since leaving Tech, Kingsbury has been the head coach for the Arizona Cardinals, offensive analyst at USC, offensive coordinator for the Washington Commanders, and currently assistant head coach for the Los Angeles Rams under offensive guru Sean McVay.
G.J. Kinne, HC, Texas State
G.J. Kinne was on every hot board the last time Venables was searching for a new OC two years ago. Now, he's even more experienced while still leading a successful Texas State program.
The Bobcats have consistently had one of the best offenses in the FBS under Kinne, who has a history in this state as a former Tulsa QB. He's also been the OC at Hawaii and UCF, and the head coach at Incarnate Word. That's a lot of experience for just a 37-year-old who could one day lead the Sooners as head coach.
Kinne won't be on the hot seat or need a job anytime soon, but that's also the kind of coach you want. If he's wanted so badly, then there's a reason Venables should want him too.
Mike Locksley, Former HC, Maryland
Mike Locksley is officially in need of a new job after getting fired as Maryland's head coach. Again, though, just because someone doesn't succeed as a head coach doesn't mean they're not a great coordinator.
Locksley led Maryland for eight seasons, which is really a long time considering the Terrapins' resources and lowly reputation. Before that, Locksley was OC at Alabama under Nick Saban in 2018. He won the Broyles Award that year, as the Crimson Tide lost in the National Championship Game while averaging 45.6 points per game.
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