Former Tennessee Football legend Jason Witten was officially announced as the Oklahoma Sooners’ next tight ends coach on Thursday afternoon. The news was reported last week, but the Sooners and head coach Brent Venables made it official on Thursday.
Witten, a 17-year veteran and record-holder in the National Football League, has never coached at the collegiate level. He’s been the head coach at Liberty Christian High School in Texas since 2021 with two state championships in his collection, but this will be his first move to the college football coaching world.
Witten offered his first remarks as a Sooners assistant coach through a press release on Thursday:
“I love football and I love teaching the game, and Oklahoma is as prestigious a college football program as there is in the country. So I’m thankful to Coach Venables for the opportunity to work together. It’s been clear to me from the outset that he’s one of the best leaders of men in football. And he has the pieces in place to compete for championships, so I’m excited to work under him and Coach (Ben) Arbuckle and with the rest of the staff. It’s a tremendous opportunity and I’m proud to be a Sooner.
“I know what the expectations and standards of Oklahoma Football are and I’m excited to lean into and embrace those. But along the way, it’s also a great privilege to positively impact young men – to help them become the best players they can be and the best men they can be. That’s one of the things I respect the most about Coach Venables – that those things aren’t mutually exclusive. You can take on the responsibility to lead men but also be highly competitive in your craft. I try to uphold those standards on and off the field.”
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Stating Witten’s experience at the tight end position is stating the obvious. He was an 11-time Pro Bowl tight end with the Dallas Cowboys during his 17-year NFL career and was a First Team All-SEC selection during his collegiate tenure with the Tennessee Volunteers. Witten was recently named as a finalist for the 2026 Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first season on the ballot.
Witten isn’t the only former NFL player on the Sooners’ coaching staff. His former teammate in Dallas, running back DeMarco Murray, has been the running backs coach in Norman since the 2020 season.
Tennessee won’t see Oklahoma during the 2026 season, barring any postseason meetings, but they will square off during the 2027 and 2029 seasons. Tennessee will travel back to Norman in 2027 and will host the Sooners in Knoxville in 2029.
Witten played three seasons with the Tennessee Volunteers from 2000 to 2002 before being selected in the third round of the 2003 NFL Draft. During his time on Rocky Top, Witten was a one-time First Team All-SEC selection in 2002. He led the team in receptions (39), receiving yards (493), and receiving touchdowns (5).
The Volunteers’ current staff includes four former Oklahoma players with head coach Josh Heupel, offensive coordinator Joey Halzle, offensive analyst Landry Jones, and offensive analyst Seth Littrell. The Sooners staff, meanwhile, now includes former Tennessee legend Jason Witten.
