Brent Venables releases statement following firing of Seth Littrell as Oklahoma OC
Brent Venables opted to part ways with Seth Littrell after Week 8 as Oklahoma fell to South Carolina 35-9 in Norman.
“Seth is an all-time great Sooner,” the Sooners head coach said in a statement of his now-former offensive coordinator. “He has a deep love for this university and football program, and has poured his heart and soul into both. Despite that, our performance as an offense this season has not at all lived up to the OU standard and I felt a change was necessary now.”
Oklahoma ranked at the bottom or near the bottom of the SEC in all major offensive categories in 2024, a stark reversal from 2023 when it ranked as one of the Big 12’s top offenses.
With Littrell, a former Sooners running back in the late 1990s and early 2000s, no longer in the fold, Venables appointed Joe Jon Finley, a current co-offensive coordinator, as play caller, while senior analyst Kevin Downs will coach quarterbacks and take on a co-OC role himself.
“I’m confident Joe Jon, Kevin and the rest of the offensive staff will work tirelessly to put our players in positions to succeed and make us more effective on that side of the ball,” Venables said.
The Sooners are 4-3 and have disappointed in their first SEC season, sitting at 1-3 in the conference.
He needs to find an offensive line.
Tough to be successful as an OC when you started the season down 2 starters on the OL, 2 running backs, and they are down 5 of their top receivers. They are starting receivers that probably would have had little playing time this season. They also have a freshman 5* quarterback that has not lived up to expectations as of yet. Maybe he should have been fired, but he didn’t have much to work with due to massive numbers of injuries.
Great points. Given all of what you laid out, seems the firing could have come After the season. I mean he did say the guy was an “all time great Sooner”! This was nothing but a move to turn down the heat under his own seat. Poor form coach
With all the injuries on the offensive side of the ball a new OC isn’t the problem. The losses will continue with Ole Miss,Bama,Lsu and Mizzou on the schedule. His being Venables seat will be on fire come seasons end.UT could be in trouble if Oklahoma decides to part ways with Venables. They could be looking to poach there head coach.
Do you actually think there is any chance Heupel would go back to coach there after how it ended before?
He could. After all it was really Stoops that fired him. Besides, enough Benjamins will sure help him get over his indignant outrage at the firing. The question is where he enjoys living the most. Both schools can offer as much as the other, both have a fairly even history, both have a rabid fanbase. I personally would like Tennessee better as I like the geography of the state, he may like Oklahoma the best and be more comfortable there. Who knows?
The firing is more about appeasing the fans and letting the market know there’s an opening. It’s not like Finley is going to be able to turn this around with the remaining teams on the schedule. Venables really counted on Sooner loyalists to be on his staff, but except for maybe Josh Heupel, we’ve never had a Sooner that was a great offensive mind. New blood is definitely needed, but it isn’t coming from within.
Per Jimmy Hyams yesterday, Heupel not going back to OK. He’s happy right here in Knoxville, he would be a FOOL to back to OK now. Besides, UT the better job.