Report: Former Oklahoma DB Jeremiah Criddell Returns to Coach OU Corners

After medically retiring following several injuries, Criddell transitioned into coaching, left the Sooners to join Jeff Lebby's staff at Mississippi State and now reportedly is back in Norman.

John E. Hoover | Jul 9, 2024

Jeremiah Criddell and Alex Grinch / Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

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Oklahoma Sooners

After a brief stay at Mississippi State, Jeremiah Criddell is coming back to Oklahoma.

That’s according to a report Tuesday night by Rivals network affiliate OUInsider.com.

Co-publisher Parker Thune reported that the former Sooner defensive back is coming back to Norman to assist Jay Valai coaching OU cornerbacks.

The OU athletic department hasn’t made any official statements, but Thune said the Sooners have “finalized” Criddell’s hire.

Criddell was the subject of a 2019 National Signing Day viral video, in which former head coach Lincoln Riley was seen fist-pumping and shouting emphatically seconds after the 4-star prospect from Santa Ana (CA) Madre Dei committed to OU over Oregon.

In three seasons under former defensive coordinator Alex Grinch, Criddell played in 18 games with one start before having to retire following the 2021 season after multiple concussions.

Criddell stepped first into the coaching realm with the Sooners in 2021 and 2022, then left for a grad assistant job at South Florida in 2023 before joining Jeff Lebby’s staff at Mississippi State after the ’23 season.

Published Jul 9, 2024|Modified Jul 9, 2024

JOHN E. HOOVER

John is an award-winning journalist whose work spans five decades in Oklahoma, with multiple state, regional and national awards as a sportswriter at various newspapers. During his newspaper career, John covered the Dallas Cowboys, the Kansas City Chiefs, the Oklahoma Sooners, the Oklahoma State Cowboys, the Arkansas Razorbacks and much more. In 2016, John changed careers, migrating into radio and launching a YouTube channel, and has built a successful independent media company, DanCam Media. From there, John has written under the banners of Sporting News, Sports Illustrated, Fan Nation and a handful of local and national magazines while hosting daily sports talk radio shows in Oklahoma City, Tulsa and statewide. John has also spoken on Capitol Hill in Oklahoma City in a successful effort to put more certified athletic trainers in Oklahoma public high schools. Among the dozens of awards he has won, John most cherishes his national "Beat Writer of the Year" from the Associated Press Sports Editors, Oklahoma's "Best Sports Column" from the Society of Professional Journalists, and Two "Excellence in Sports Medicine Reporting" Awards from the National Athletic Trainers Association. John holds a bachelor's degree in Mass Communications from East Central University in Ada, OK. Born and raised in North Pole, Alaska, John played football and wrote for the school paper at Ada High School in Ada, OK. He enjoys books, movies and travel, and lives in Broken Arrow, OK, with his wife and two kids.