Oklahoma fell in the College Football Playoff in the first round to Alabama, 34-24. After the game, Brent Venables decided to make changes to the coaching staff. One of the moves that Venables made was to relieve tight ends coach Joe Jon Finley of his duties. Now, Oklahoma has found its new tight ends coach, a former Cowboys star.
Oklahoma has hired former Cowboys tight end Jason Witten as its new tight ends coach, according to Ari Meirov of The 33rd Team.
Witten played college football from 2000 through 2002 at Tennessee, leaving after his junior season for the NFL Draft. He was the 69th overall pick of the Dallas Cowboys in the 2003 NFL Draft, being selected in the third round. He played from 2003 through 2017 with the Cowboys before retiring. After his retirement, he joined the crew of Monday Night Football for the 2018 season.
The retirement was short-lived, as he returned to the Cowboys on a one-year deal. He would then play with the Las Vegas Raiders for the 2020 season. Witten once again retired from the NFL after signing a one-day contract with the Cowboys.
Witten was sought after by both the NFL and college teams to become a coach. After a year away from football, he was named the head coach of Liberty Christian School in Texas. In 2003, Witten led the team to their first-ever undefeated season and their fourth state title. In 2024, he led the team to repeat as state champions. The 2025 season saw the team fall to Prestonwood Christian in the second round of the playoffs.
Now, Witten will make the jump to the college ranks with Oklahoma. He will join his former Cowboys teammate DeMarco Murray on the staff, who is the running backs coach for the Sooners.
The hiring of Witten could also bring some solid recruits for the Sooners. His oldest son, CJ Witten, just finished his first year at Rice. He was a three-star recruit in the 2025 cycle. Meanwhile, Cooper Witten is the number one-ranked linebacker in the 2027 class and the 44th overall-ranked player. Meanwhile, Correll Buckhalter Jr. is a three-star running back from Liberty Christian for the 2027 class.
