Oklahoma Offensive Coordinator Hot Board 2.0

Brent Venables' next major hire inches closer as the college football season continues to wind down.

Baylor offensive coordinator Jake Spavital. / Michael C. Johnson-Imagn Images

As the 2024 season winds down, Oklahoma’s offensive coordinator search is coming into focus. 

Selecting the next leader of the Sooners’ offense will be the pivotal hire of the Brent Venables era after promoting Seth Littrell from analyst to co-offensive coordinator backfired. 

With the transfer portal window looming early in December, OU is working quickly to hire a new coordinator. 

Ben Arbuckle, Washington State

Ben Arbuckle’s rise through the ranks has been meteoric. 

He got his start as an offensive quality control analyst at Houston Baptist with current Texas Tech offensive coordinator Zach Kittley in 2018 and hasn’t looked back. 

Arbuckle followed Kittley to Western Kentucky, where the duo constructed one of the nation’s best passing attacks. 

After Kittley left the Hilltoppers for Lubbock, Arbuckle took over and maintained high levels of success. Despite losing quarterback Bailey Zappe to the NFL, Arbuckle’s 2022 Western Kentucky offense finished seventh in total offense, 15th in scoring offense and second in passing offense. 

Arbuckle drew plenty of attention, and he landed at Washington State in 2023. 

He helped quarterback Cam Ward in his second year with the Cougars, and took Washington State from 94th in total offense to 35th and from 45th in passing offense to fourth. 

This year the offense has gotten even better.

Ward is in the thick of the Heisman Trophy race at Miami, but Arbuckle brought along quarterback John Mateer and the Cougars are currently ninth in the country in total offense and 19th in passing offense. 

Arbuckle doesn’t have any SEC experience, however, as his collegiate experience is limited to his stops at Houston Baptist, Western Kentucky and Washington State. 

Jake Spavital, Baylor

Baylor offensive coordinator Jake Spavital. / Michael C. Johnson-Imagn Images

Jake Spavital has experience in droves. 

The Tulsa native has made eight different stops in his coaching career, spanning from a quality control position at Tulsa to graduate assistant jobs at Houston and Oklahoma State to working as West Virginia’s quarterback coach to offensive coordinator jobs at Texas A&M, California, West Virginia and Baylor. 

He also took charge of Texas State’s program from 2019-2022 before returning to his gig focusing only on calling offenses. 

He’s been an essential piece of Baylor’s turnaround in 2024. 

Last year, the Bears finished 73rd in total offense a year ago but now sit at 41st, and are currently 23rd in scoring offense after ending at 101st a year ago. 

He’s brought quarterback Sawyer Robertson along, too, as he’s completing 61.2 percent of his passes through nine games after connecting on just 56.4 percent of his passes in six games of action a year ago.

Joe Craddock, Tulane

Tulane offensive coordinator Joe Craddock would bring a bit of familiarity to Venables’ coaching meetings. 

Craddock was a piece of Clemson’s player development staff in 2012 before serving as a graduate assistant with the Tigers in 2013 and 2014 when Venables was on Dabo Swinney’s staff. 

He then worked as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at both SMU and Arkansas before landing as UAB’s tight ends coach, Troy’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach before taking on the same role at Tulane. 

Craddock has done an excellent job with Green Wave quarterback Darian Mensah this year. The freshman has completed 65.9 percent of his passes, throwing for 2,197 yards and 18 touchdowns with only four interceptions.

Mike Shanahan, Indiana

Indiana offensive coordinator Mike Shanahan. / Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK

Curt Cignetti’s Indiana Hoosiers have been one of the shocks of the 2024 college football season. 

In his first year after departing James Madison, Cignetti has the Hoosiers ranked in the top five as they prepare to take on Ohio State this weekend. 

Offensive coordinator Mike Shanahan has been a big part of Indiana’s success, and he’s been with Cignetti for nearly a decade. 

Indiana ranks second in scoring offense, 15th in total offense, 23rd in passing offense and 47th in rushing offense this year. 

Dan Mullen

Former Florida head coach Dan Mullen. / Kim Klement-Imagn Images

Former Mississippi State and Florida head coach Dan Mullen isn’t coaching on a sideline this year, but he’s one of the most experienced play callers on the market. 

He has 17 years of coaching experience in the SEC, and played a hand in the development of Alex Smith, Tim Tebow, Dak Prescott and Kyle Trask. 

Mullen most recently coached in 2021 when he was dismissed at Florida, but his final offense in Gainesville ranked 15th in total offense, 49th in scoring offense, 46th in passing offense and 23rd in rushing offense. 

His 2020 offense finished ninth in total offense, 13th in scoring and first in passing and it helped earn Florida a berth in the SEC Championship Game. 

Mullen’s record of quarterback development paired with Oklahoma’s NIL resources would make the Sooners a player in any recruiting battle in both the transfer portal and out of the high school ranks from the jump if Mullen decided to get back into the coaching booth in Norman.