Oklahoma Officially Adds Washington State OC Ben Arbuckle To Brent Venables' Staff

Joe Londergan | 16 Hours Ago

Nov 12, 2022; Pullman, Washington, USA; Washington State Cougars helmet sits during a game against the Arizona State Sun Devils in the first half at Gesa Field at Martin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-Imagn Images / James Snook-Imagn Images

After an 8-4 finish to the 2024 regular season, the Washington State Cougars have already lost an important piece of the puzzle.

Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Ben Arbuckle was hired to the same positions by the University of Oklahoma and Sooners' head coach Brent Venables this week.

"Right off the bat, my first conversation with Coach Venables got me really excited," Arbuckle said in a press release from Oklahoma's athletic department. "Hearing his vision for the program and the OU offense, I was in total alignment and ready to roll. To have this opportunity to join the University of Oklahoma football program, with its longstanding tradition of excellence, was so enticing to me and I wanted to be a part of it more than anything. It's an honor and a privilege to be in this situation and I'm ready to hit the ground running and get this thing going."

Venables also added his words of positivity around the hire in the aforementioned press release.

"Thanks to his unique blend of experience, Ben does an incredible job utilizing multiple personnel groups and putting tremendous stress — both vertical and systematic — on defenses. He's overseen quarterback-friendly, big-play offenses and thrives at putting players in position to be successful. That track record will attract some of the most dynamic and explosive players in the country."

In 2024 under Arbuckle's tutelage, WSU redshirt sophomore quarterback John Mateer posted eye-popping numbers, passing for 29 touchdowns and rushing for 15. Mateer averaged 330.4 yards of total offense per game, fifth-most in FBS.

The entire Oklahoma offense averaged 322.5 yards per game in 2023, second fewest in the SEC.

Despite the loss of Arbuckle, the Cougs now look to replace him with an offensive mind that could guide Mateer to similar heights on the Palouse in future years. It would serve Jake Dickert and company to find that mind quickly considering the transfer portal opens on December 9.

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