Bob Stoops makes Oklahoma fans rethink Jason Witten coaching concerns

Legendary Oklahoma football coach Bob Stoops doesn't believe the biggest critique of the Sooners' new tight ends coach, Jason Witten, should be considered a flaw at all as Stoops approved of Brent Venables' latest hire.

During his regular appearance on KREF sports radio this week, Stoops not only gave his seal of approval of Witten joining the Sooners' staff, but also debunked those who question if Witten has enough experience to succeed in his new role.

Bob Stoops gives seal of approval for Jason Witten as OU's new tight ends coach

Witten is destined for the Pro Football Hall of Fame after playing tight end in the NFL for 17 seasons between the Dallas Cowboys and Las Vegas Raiders. He was an 11-time Pro Bowler, named First-Team All-Pro twice and was Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year in 2012. However, Witten's only coaching experience has been as a head high school coach at Liberty Christian School in Texas since his retirement in 2021. He led the program to back-to-back state championships.

Stoops compared Witten's situation to when he hired Jonathan Hayes as his tight ends coach when he first became the Sooners' head coach in 1999. Similar to Witten, Hayes played the position in the NFL for 11 seasons before Stoops gave him his first-ever coaching job. He ultimately coached OU's tight ends for four years before leaving to become the Cincinnati Bengals' tight ends coach for 16 years, during which he coached former Sooner Jermaine Gresham. Hayes was also Stoops' co-offensive coordinator for the XFL's Arlington Renegades in 2023.

"To me, everybody has experiences, and experiences count. Jason Witten and his experiences are major," Stoops said. "That immediately qualifies him. Just like when I started here in '99, I hired Jonathan Hayes as my tight end coach. Jonathan had never coached a day in his life, but he played it at a -- you know, you play in the NFL, I think Jonathan played for 12 years -- you know a little bit about playing tight end.

"And I'm sure Jason is a bright, smart guy, and played 16-17 years. He knows how to play tight end, and he'll be able to relay that. He's had a lot of great teachers and coaches through the years, so I think that experience is great. Anyhow, I always just try to evaluate people's experiences and was the experiences they've had been good, positive, or not. To me, that's what really matters."