College football is 24/7/365 and that is true for the ever-changing coaching staffs that programs across the sport see.
To keep up with the trends and innovation, head coaches are always looking for the next young hire to help ascend their offense to the next level. The Oklahoma Sooners are hoping they have struck that with their newest hire.
The Sooners are finalizing a three-year deal to bring Ben Arbuckle in as their new offensive coordinator and lure him from Washington State, as reported by ESPN’s Pete Thamel.
Ben Arbuckle came into the spotlight this past season when the Washington State Cougars’ offense took off. The Cougars averaged 36.75 points per game with Arbuckle at the helm.
He ran a balanced scheme throwing for 268.8 yards per game and 30 passing touchdowns to go with 171.6 rushing yards per game and 27 rushing touchdowns.
Oklahoma is looking for an infusion on offense as they scored just 24.3 points per game in 2024 and struggled to find much success on the ground or through the air.
The Sooners averaged just 3.9 yards per rush and only 167.6 passing yards per game. They only found the endzone 30 total times in the regular season.
Arbuckle, just 29 years old, has quickly ascended into a Power Five coordinator role. After playing tight end for West Texas A&M, he spent the first two years of his career at Houston Baptist and Seminole High School in Texas.
His breakthrough came at Western Kentucky during the 2021 and 2022 seasons where he was the quarterbacks coach and eventual offensive coordinator.
Arbuckle’s offense as Western Kentucky led the nation in passing yards and was the No. 15 scoring offense in 2022 before Washington State lured him away.
