Just a day actually on the job, and new Oklahoma tight ends coach Jason Witten already gets it.
Although reports of the hire surfaced last week, the Sooners on Thursday officially announced Witten as Joe Jon Finley's replacement as their new tight ends coach. In the announcement, OU head coach Brent Venables not only shared undervalued reasons why he hired Witten, but Witten also made his first comments as a Sooner and made it clear he already understands the expectations, even as a Tennessee alum.
Jason Witten emphasizes Sooners' expectations even as Tennessee alum
"I love football and I love teaching the game, and Oklahoma is as prestigious a college football program as there is in the country," Witten said in a statement. "So I'm thankful to Coach Venables for the opportunity to work together. It's been clear to me from the outset that he's one of the best leaders of men in football. And he has the pieces in place to compete for championships, so I'm excited to work under him and (offensive coordinator) Coach (Ben) Arbuckle and with the rest of the staff. It's a tremendous opportunity and I'm proud to be a Sooner."
Witten has handled high expectations before as an NFL tight end for 17 seasons -- 16 of which were with the Dallas Cowboys, who have a bigger spotlight than any other franchise. He was an 11-time Pro Bowler and named First-Team All-Pro twice. He was also just named a finalist to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, proving he can exceed any kind of expectations.
After retirement, Witten became the head coach at Liberty Christian School in Argyle, Texas, where he won two state championships. As a coach for OU, he already on Friday landed a commitment from Tennessee transfer tight end Jack Van Dorselaer, who the Sooners whiffed on as a four-star recruit in the 2025 class.
Witten, within 24 hours, not only stated he knew the standards at OU, but is already meeting them.
"I know what the expectations and standards of Oklahoma Football are and I'm excited to lean into and embrace those," Witten said. "But along the way, it's also a great privilege to positively impact young men – to help them become the best players they can be and the best men they can be. That's one of the things I respect the most about Coach Venables – that those things aren't mutually exclusive. You can take on the responsibility to lead men but also be highly competitive in your craft. I try to uphold those standards on and off the field.
"I'm excited to get in that tight ends room and work with OU's great staff and players."