Oklahoma Bets Jason Witten’s Fame Can Boost Its College Football Offense
Witten takes offensive control
Oklahoma coach Brent Venables chose Jason Witten to serve as interim offensive coordinator and playcaller. The former NFL tight end spent 17 seasons in the league, mostly with the Dallas Cowboys, and ranks second all-time among tight ends in receiving yards.
Venables could have turned to former Sooners offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson, who is on staff. Instead, the job went to Witten, who starred at Tennessee but is new to coaching. The decision comes amid concerns about the risks of relying on a once-successful coach whose results have since declined.
Celebrity hires face a test
Over the past nine years, former NFL stars and TV personalities with limited coaching backgrounds have received some of college football’s most influential jobs. Yet none has become a clear long-term answer at a major program, according to the article.
There are examples of progress at lower levels: Norfolk State coach Michael Vick and Delaware State coach DeSean Jackson are in the midst of turnarounds. But those cases have not established a reliable model for celebrity coaches moving to Power Four schools.
Colorado shows mixed returns
Deion Sanders began his head-coaching career with success at Jackson State, then moved to Colorado in 2024. Colorado has had one winning season under Sanders: nine wins, a first-round NFL Draft pick in Travis Hunter, and a four-way tie for first in the Big 12.
Sanders is 19-25 at Colorado, and the article says he is closer to being fired than reaching the College Football Playoff. Still, his arrival brought benefits beyond the field: ticket sales rose when the team won, university applications increased, and Sanders became a strong marketing figure for the school.
Programs seek star power
Colorado’s visibility helps explain why North Carolina State athletic director Boo Corrigan interviewed former quarterback and Super Bowl champion Russell Wilson for its vacant head coaching job, even though Wilson had no coaching experience. NC State officials also traveled to Alabama to interview Philip Rivers, an NFL great and high school coach.
Other outcomes underline the uncertainty. Eddie George is 6-15 as Bowling Green’s head coach, while Sanders’ results at Colorado have been uneven. The examples leave programs weighing the attention a famous hire can bring against the challenge of building lasting success.
Key points
- Oklahoma selected Jason Witten as interim offensive coordinator and playcaller.
- Celebrity hires have not established a dependable route to sustained success at Power Four programs.
- Deion Sanders is 19-25 at Colorado, with one winning season since arriving in 2024.
- North Carolina State interviewed Russell Wilson and Philip Rivers for its vacant head coaching job.