The numbers are out for how much it will cost the Oklahoma Sooners to hopefully renovate their offense.
The OU Board of Regents on Thursday evening officially approved the hiring and contract for the Sooners' new offensive coordinator, Ben Arbuckle. According to multiple reports, OU and Arbuckle agreed on a three-deal year that gave him an annual salary of $1.5 million. The deal finishes on Jan. 31, 2028.
It's quite the raise for Arbuckle, who earned $693,750 in 2024 at his previous stop, Washington State, according to the USA Today College Football Assistant Coach Salaries database. However, that was not Arbuckle's full salary since he resigned on Dec. 2 to take the OU job. He made $745,000 in 2023 and $100,00 with Western Kentucky in 2022.
For comparison, Seth Littrell, who was fired as OU's offensive coordinator midway through his first season, had a salary of $1.1 million with a three-year contract.
Arbuckle, who's only 29, will still make less than former OU offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby, who made $1.9 million in 2023. Lebby was the highest-paid assistant Brent Venables has ever had as head coach at OU.
Arbuckle, though, will still be the highest-paid assistant on Brent Venables' current staff, unless a new defensive coordinator makes more. The only other OU assistant with a salary in the million-dollar threshold in 2024 was offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh at exactly $1 million. Former defensive coordinator Zac Alley made $850,000 in 2024 before leaving for West Virginia.
Arbuckle's salary is also in the upper half among SEC offensive coordinators. Only two offensive coordinators in the conference made more than Arbuckle, at least based on 2024 salaries -- Ole Miss' Charlie Weiss Jr. ($1.65 million) and Texas A&M's Collin Klein ($1.6 million). Three other SEC offensive coordinators also made $1.5 million in 2024.
The Sooners will kick off their 2025 season against Illinois State on Aug. 30 in Norman.