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OU football hires Seth Littrell, Joe Jon Finley as co-offensive coordinators

ryan aber, the oklahoman
·3 min read
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NORMAN — OU coach Brent Venables didn’t have to look far to find his new offensive coordinator.

He found two.

Seth Littrell, a Sooners alum who spent the last season as an offensive analyst under Venables, and OU tight ends coach Joe Jon Finley will serve as co-offensive coordinators, the school announced Wednesday. Sooner Scoop first reported that a deal was in the works Tuesday night.

They will replace Jeff Lebby, who was hired Sunday as Mississippi State’s head coach after two seasons as OU’s offensive coordinator.

Before joining Venables’ staff, Littrell spent the previous seven seasons as North Texas’ head coach.

He had stints as offensive coordinator at North Carolina (2014-15), Indiana (2012-13) and Arizona (2011) prior to that and in 2010 was co-offensive coordinator with the Wildcats alongside current Sooners’ offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh.

More: Jackson Arnold is OU football's QB of the future. How does he view Sooners' OC situation?

Seth Littrell works with players as the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) college football team holds spring practice outside of Gaylord Family/Oklahoma Memorial Stadium on March 21, 2023 in Norman, Okla. [Steve Sisney/For The Oklahoman]
Seth Littrell works with players as the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) college football team holds spring practice outside of Gaylord Family/Oklahoma Memorial Stadium on March 21, 2023 in Norman, Okla. [Steve Sisney/For The Oklahoman]

Littrell played fullback at OU from 1997-2000, helping the Sooners win a national title in his final season.

He started his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Kansas before coaching running backs at Texas Tech from 2005-08.

Littrell coached running backs and tight ends at Arizona in 2010 before being elevated to co-offensive coordinator the next season.

His 2015 offense at North Carolina was ninth nationally in scoring offense, averaging 40.7 points per game, 18th nationally in total offense, averaging 486.9 yards per game and No. 18 in rushing offense at 224.4 rushing yards per game.

Finley played for the Sooners from 2004-07.

His coaching career began in 2011 at Los Fresnos (Texas) High before moving to the collegiate level as a graduate assistant with the Sooners in 2012-13.

After returning to Los Fresnos for a season, he joined the Baylor staff before his first full-time on-field role as Missouri’s tight ends coach in 2016. After three seasons there, he spent 2019 in the same position at Texas A&M and 2020 with Lebby as the passing game coordinator/tight ends coach at Ole Miss in 2020 before joining the Sooners’ staff in 2021.

More: Mussatto's Minutes: Jeff Lebby is latest OU offensive coordinator to get head coaching gig

Oklahoma offensive analyst Seth Littrell during an NCAA college football spring practice, Tuesday, March 21, 2023, in Norman, Okla. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
Oklahoma offensive analyst Seth Littrell during an NCAA college football spring practice, Tuesday, March 21, 2023, in Norman, Okla. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Who is Seth Littrell?

  • Born: July 24, 1978

  • Hometown: Muskogee

  • College: Oklahoma (2001)

  • College playing career: Oklahoma (1997-2000)

  • Coaching resume: Kansas, graduate assistant, 2002-04; Texas Tech, running backs, 2005-08; Arizona, running backs/tight ends, 2009; Arizona, co-offensive coordinator/running backs & tight ends, 2010; Arizona, offensive coordinator/tight ends & H-backs, 2011; Indiana, offensive coordinator/tight ends & fullbacks, 2012-13; North Carolina, assistant head coach/offensive coordinator/tight ends, 2014-15; North Texas, head coach, 2016-2022; Oklahoma, offensive analyst, 2023

  • Notable: In seven seasons as head coach of the Mean Green, Littrell went 44-44 with five bowl appearances. He was a team captain on the Sooners' national championship team in 2000. In his four-year career at OU, he ran for 707 yards and 11 touchdowns on 168 carries. He added 24 catches for 176 yards and two touchdowns.

More: OU football rewind: Why Brent Venables didn't hesitate to go for it on fourth down vs. TCU

OU tight ends coach Joe Jon Finley speaks during a media day for the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) football team in Norman, Okla., Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2023.
OU tight ends coach Joe Jon Finley speaks during a media day for the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) football team in Norman, Okla., Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2023.

Who is Joe Jon Finley?

  • Born: January 30, 1985

  • Hometown: Arlington, Texas

  • College: Oklahoma (2008)

  • College playing career: OU (2004-07)

  • NFL playing career: San Francisco 49ers (2008-10), Detroit Lions (2010-11), Carolina Panthers (2012). Was only on the active roster with the Lions.

  • Coaching resume: Los Fresnos (Texas) High School, offensive line, 2011; Oklahoma, offensive graduate assistant, 2012-13; Los Fresnos (Texas) High School, offensive line/strength & conditioning coordinator, 2014; Baylor, assistant director of football operations/offensive quality control, 2015; Missouri, tight ends, 2016-18; Texas A&M, tight ends, 2018-19; Mississippi, passing game coordinator/tight ends, 2020; Oklahoma, tight ends, 2021-23

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OU hires Seth Littrell, Joe Jon Finley as co-offensive coordinators