Why Seth Littrell might make sense as Oklahoma’s offensive coordinator

Seth Littrell’s experience and success make for an intriguing option to replace Jeff Lebby as Oklahoma’s offensive coordinator.

It’s coaching carousel season in college football. As rivalry week put a bow on the regular season, the Oklahoma Sooners watched their Big 12 title hopes go up in flames in BYU’s OT loss to Oklahoma State.

With the Big 12 title out of the picture for the Sooners, offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby is off to Mississippi State to be their next head coach. The Sooners now must begin the search to fill their vacant offensive coordinator role.

Ryan Aber, from The Oklahoman, examined a number of names that could be potential fits for the Sooners. On the list is current offensive analyst and a popular name to fill the position, Seth Littrell.

Littrell is already on staff, and has plenty of familiarity with the Sooners’ personnel. He played for the Sooners from 1997-2000, the last two when Brent Venables was OU’s co-defensive coordinator. Littrell had stints as offensive coordinator at Arizona, Indiana and North Carolina before serving as North Texas’ head coach from 2016-22. Littrell also has a strong relationship with Sooners’ QB commit Michael Hawkins and could help OU hold onto the prospect. – Aber, The Oklahoman

Familiarity and relationships are important to Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables. That familiarity was key to Jeff Lebby getting the job with the Sooners in the first place. And it could play a role in Littrell getting an opportunity.

Littrell is an experienced coach, beginning as a graduate assistant with the Kansas Jayhawks in 2002. He has served as a running backs coach and a tight ends coach. He’s also held offensive coordinator titles with the Arizona Wildcats, Indiana Hoosiers, and North Carolina Tar Heels before taking the head coaching job at North Texas.

As an offensive coordinator, Littrell’s had success in the Pac-12, Big Ten, and ACC. With Arizona, Indiana, and UNC, Littrell helped the offense take significant year two jumps. The Tar Heels went from averaging 33 points per game in 2014 to 40 points per game in 2015.

It’s early in the process and there’s no time frame for the Sooners to make a decision. Littrell’s presence on staff provides an opportunity for a test drive of sorts. The Sooners can petition the NCAA for a waiver to make Littrell eligible to coach during their bowl game. Although, it’s more likely that they’d make a decision by then with the early signing period right around the corner.

The Oklahoma Sooners will be a destination for a number of qualified and exciting candidates. OU’s been one of the better offensive programs for much of the last 25 years. Given the litany of offensive talent returning for 2024, it’s likely they’ll continue to operate with great success on offense.

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