Report: Oklahoma to Hire Ben Arbuckle as Offensive Coordinator

The Sooners are reportedly turning to a young offensive mind to turn around their offense in 2025.

Ben Arbuckle at Western Kentucky / Screenshot / WKU Sports on YouTube

A fresh face is set to take over Oklahoma’s offense. 

Washington State offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle is leaving the Cougars to take the same post in Norman, ESPN's Pete Thamel reported on Monday.

Sources: Oklahoma is finalizing a three-year deal to make Washington State’s Ben Arbuckle the school’s new offensive coordinator. Washington State finished No. 9 in scoring offense this year and was a successful coordinator at Western Kentucky prior.

— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) December 2, 2024

Arbuckle is a bold hire for Brent Venables, as the young offensive mind has only been calling plays in college football for three years. 

A former quarterback at West Texas A&M University, Arbuckle got into coaching as a quality control coach at Houston Baptist in 2018 and 2019, helping out with the offensive line and quarterbacks, where he worked with current Texas Tech offensive coordinator Zach Kittley. 

In 2020 he served as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Seminole High School in Seminole, TX, before getting reunited with Kittley at Western Kentucky. 

Arbuckle first joined the Hilltoppers’ staff as a quality control coach in 2021 before getting elevated to co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2022 when Kittley was scooped up by the Red Raiders. 

The 2021 offense under Kittley ranked first in nation in passing, second in total offense and scoring and 119th in rushing, as Western Kentucky ran everything through quarterback Bailey Zappe, who eventually ended up on getting selected by the New England Patriots in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft. 

After Kittley and Zappe departed, Arbuckle ensured the offense wouldn’t suffer a major drop-off. 

In 2022, Arbuckle’s offense finished second in passing, seventh in total offense, 15th and scoring offense and 70th in rushing offense as a first-year play caller. 

His success was noticed by Washington State’s Jake Dickert, who brought him to Pullman, WA to run the Cougars’ offense in 2023.

Arbuckle inherited current Miami quarterback Cam Ward, but even with the talented passer, Washington State struggled before Arbuckle’s arrival .

In 2022, the Cougars ended 94th in total offense, 79th in scoring offense and 45th in passing offense. 

Those marks improved to 35th in total offense, 38th in scoring offense and fourth in passing offense in Arbuckle’s first season in charge. 

Then after Ward entered the transfer portal, Arbuckle kept the offense moving with redshirt sophomore quarterback John Mateer. 

Leaning on Mateer in the running game, Washington State jumped from 130th in rushing last year to 55th in 2024 while sitting at 12th in scoring offense and and 22nd total offense, albeit against a weaker schedule after the Pac 12's implosion last year.

Last week when asked, Venables was unbothered by the age of his selection at offensive coordinator.

"I think older can fit and I think younger can fit," he said before hiring the 29-year old.

All Venables wants is someone who can quickly get the offense up and running.

 "I like an offense that has some flexibility and can win different ways," Venables said.  I like an offense that has some flexibility and can win different ways. 

"So if that looks like five wides, that looks like Ninja, if that looks like I backs, if that looks like 13 and 14 personnel, that looks like 12 personnel, all things are certainly under consideration. But again I look at what it takes to win and compete in our league, against the best teams."