Oklahoma OC Ben Arbuckle is suddenly one of college football’s hottest coaching candidates

There’s always a price for success, and it could cost the Oklahoma Sooners an offensive coordinator.

On3 mentioned OU offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle as a possible candidate for the head coaching job at UCLA, which just opened on Sunday after DeShaun Foster was fired only three weeks into the season.

Ben Arbuckle listed as candidate for UCLA head coach

It’s just Week 4, but as the Sooners are cruising, this already wasn’t the first time Arbuckle’s name was uttered as a possibility for a future opening, and it won’t be the last.

With Oklahoma State struggling for a second straight season, Mike Gundy’s seat is as hot as it’s ever been in Stillwater. Unless Gundy performs a miraculous turnaround after the Cowboys’ bye week, OSU will also soon have an opening, which Arbuckle was linked to last week.

Virginia Tech is also now searching for a head coach, but Arbuckle has not been mentioned as a possible candidate there yet. However, with two Power Four head coaching gigs already open just midway through September, there will be plenty of opportunity to intrigue Arbuckle.

It’s been only three games, but it’s already obvious the Sooners' offense has been transformed under Arbuckle after being historically bad last season. Quarterback John Mateer has also emerged as the Heisman Trophy favorite, but Arbuckle deserves a lot of credit for that, too. Mateer followed Arbuckle from Washington State to Norman this offseason after being the Cougars' QB1 last season and leading college football with 44 total touchdowns.

Arbuckle's track record with quarterbacks increases his value tremendously. He mentored Bailey Zappe at Western Kentucky during his record-breaking season with more passing yards and passing touchdowns in FBS history. Cam Ward was Arbuckle's QB1 at Washington State in 2023 before transferring to Miami and becoming the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Despite turning 30 on Monday, Arbuckle has rapidly risen through the coaching ranks after being an offensive coordinator at a Texas high school just five years ago. This is just his third season calling plays, but he's already proven worthy of a head coaching opportunity.

Fortunately for the Sooners, though, the Cowboys seem to have several candidates higher on their list than Arbuckle, and with no ties to UCLA, that move seems unlikely considering how bad things are for the Bruins. However, it's still just September, so more jobs will eventually open, and Arbuckle's name will only get hotter the more success the Sooners have.

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