Ex-Oklahoma players Seth Littrell, Joe Jon Finley take over Sooners’ offense

Last updated: 2023/11/29 at 11:04 PM

BigP Published November 29, 2023

Oklahoma has promoted Seth Littrell from offensive analyst to offensive coordinator, filling the spot Jeff Lebby vacated when he left to become Mississippi State’s head coach.

Littrell, a fullback on Oklahoma’s 2000 national championship team, will call plays and coach the quarterbacks.

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“This has been a dream of mine since I was a child,” Littrell, a native of Muskogee, Oklahoma, said. “I left OU after the 2000 season and it’s taken me 23 years to get back here. There’s no better honor.”

The Sooners also announced Wednesday that they have promoted tight ends coach Joe Jon Finley to co-offensive coordinator. Finley will continue to coach tight ends and will play an increased role in offensive game-planning and oversight.

“I’m thrilled to announce two former OU players as our new brain trust on offense,” Oklahoma coach Brent Venables said in a statement. “Seth and Joe Jon are going to make an amazing duo and lead a fantastic group of offensive coaches.”

Venables hired Littrell in March 2023. He was head coach at North Texas from 2016 to 2022. Venables was a defensive assistant at Oklahoma when Littrell was a player.

“He was one of my favorite players, even though I didn’t coach him directly,” Venables said. “I just had so much respect for him — his toughness, his instincts, his attitude, his mindset and his love for everything Oklahoma.”

Former Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley hired Finley in 2021. He played tight end for the Sooners from 2004 to 2007 and had 62 catches for 775 yards and 10 touchdowns in 50 games. He was passing game coordinator and tight ends coach at Ole Miss in 2020 and had previous stops as an assistant at Missouri and Baylor.

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Venables said he considered many other candidates, but felt these two coaches provided the talent and continuity needed as the Sooners prepare for entry into the SEC next season.

“There’s just great natural chemistry and cohesion, which is incredibly important,” Venables said. “We’ve had great success the last two years offensively and this will give us a chance to continue to evolve as we transition to the SEC.”

Reporting by The Associated Press.