Why New Oklahoma QB Coach Kevin Johns Was 'Like a Pig in the Mud' Working With Jackson Arnold

Kevin Johns was elevated from offensive analyst to co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the Sooners on Sunday.

Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Jackson Arnold reacts after throwing a touchdown pass against South Carolina. / Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Kevin Johns is stepping out of the shadows and into a much larger role on Oklahoma’s coaching staff this week. 

The former Dayton signal caller-turned-quarterback guru was brought on staff in the offseason as an offensive analyst, but he will now serve as OU’s quarterbacks coach and co-offensive coordinator alongside Joe Jon Finley after Seth Littrell was dismissed on Sunday. 

Finley will call the plays, Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables emphasized during his weekly Coaches Show on Monday, due to his familiarity with the system and because Finley fluently speaks the language of the offense. 

Johns’ role has evolved in Norman after analysts were permitted to take on a much larger on-field coaching role by the NCAA this summer. 

“Kevin, when he got here, was hired later in the winter, early spring as an analyst, off-the-field coaches were not allowed to coach,” Venables said. “So he was looking at advanced scouting and not really in the nuts and the bolts and the X's and the O's and learning all the new language and things. 

“He'll pick up some things, but that wasn't his forte. He wasn't breaking down things and having to prepare stuff day to day for the coaches. He's more of an advanced-scout guy.”

That doesn’t mean that Johns won’t be a huge addition to the Sooners, however. 

From 2008-2010 he served as Northwestern’s wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator. 

In 2011 he joined Kevin Wilson’s staff at Indiana to serve as the co-offensive coordinator, and in 2012 he was also tasked with working with the quarterbacks with the Hoosiers. 

He stayed on staff at Indiana until 2017, when he moved to Western Michigan as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. 

In 2018, he served as Texas Tech’s offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach under Kliff Kingsbury before moving to Mike Norvell’s Memphis staff from 2019-2021 to serve as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. 

He took the same job at Duke from 2022-2023, where he helped develop current Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard. 

Oklahoma co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Kevin Johns. / OU Athletics

“The success that he's had and the exposure that he's had at several places,” Venables said. “… (He) was at Indiana for several years where they broke 55-plus Big Ten records and led the Big Ten in scoring when he was the OC and quarterbacks coach, I think '16-'17, and the development pieces that's there. 

“He understands — everywhere, he's had to maybe do more with less. I love that about coaching, when you see people have success at places where maybe they don't always have the best resources but you're able to maximize guys. You're essentially able to put people in positions to be successful. 

“And that was behind this decision that we've gotta maybe do, whatever that looks like, a better job of putting our guys in a better position to be successful.”

Johns and Finley will have a tough task ahead to improve OU’s offense on the fly. 

The offensive line has struggled mightily in 2024. After surrendering nine sacks to South Carolina on Saturday, the Sooners now rank 132nd out of 133 FBS teams in sacks allowed. 

There won’t be some massive schematic overhaul, either. 

It’s the middle of the season, the tweaks will be subtle, but Venables’ goal is for Johns and Finley to be able to put the offense in better spots for the final five games of the season. 

“There's obviously always a collaboration, but we've figured out what doesn't work, I know that,” Venables said. “There's certainly things that haven't worked, and so you push those to the side and try to lean on expertise.”

“… He and Joe Jon will work together, with the rest of the staff; everybody has a role, but those will be the two voices putting stuff together, and then Joe Jon will call it on gameday.”

Venables expanded on the decision to name Finley as the play caller, too. 

Joe Jon Finley will call the plays for the rest of the season for Oklahoma. / BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

“They did not pass that (analyst) rule until fall camp where these other off-the-field people can actually coach,” Venables said. “Because of all this time where (Johns) hasn’t been intimately involved with the offense, but the X’s and the O’s, the verbiage — all the depth of that. (Johns has) been more organizational, advanced scouting. 

“… He’s a leader, and so I put him in some of those roles that need really good leadership so you get the right looks and stuff like that. Here we are, and you got a week to make sure you have all your verbiage down and things like that. It’s just a lot. It’s not really fair to put him in that position. But he’ll have a lot of influence.”

Finley and Johns will be rolling with Jackson Arnold at starting quarterback against Ole Miss, Venables announced on Monday. 

Arnold was reinserted into the lineup against South Carolina after Michael Hawkins Jr. committed turnovers on each of the first three drives. 

Arnold finished the game 18-for-36 passing for 225 yards and a score. 

It's not yet clear if Finley, Johns and Arnold will have more weapons at wide receiver available to work with against the Rebels.

Monday’s practice went well, Venables said, and he’s excited to see Johns get to work as OU’s quarterback coach for the rest of the year. 

“He was like a pig in the mud (Monday) with the quarterbacks,” Venables said. “He’ll be a great asset for those guys. 

“… He’ll be a great vessel for those quarterbacks to get another lens and to get another view of things. … He was on point. He was really good.”