The Oklahoma Sooners have fired offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Seth Littrell, per ESPN’s Pete Thamel, who provided more information.
ESPN sources can confirm that Oklahoma has fired OC Seth Littrell. There's a team meeting called for 6 p.m. to inform them. Per ESPN sources, CO-OC Joe Jon Finley will be the new play caller for Oklahoma and former Duke OC Kevin Johns will have a significant role in the offense. pic.twitter.com/1k1oab7uNQ
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) October 20, 2024
Taking over for Seth Littrell will be the Oklahoma Sooners’ co-offensive coordinator Joe Jon Finley. Finley will be responsible for the play-calling duties for OU going forward.
Seth Littrell joined Oklahoma as an offensive analyst in 2023 from North Texas and was named offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach on Nov. 29, 2023.
The Muskogee native was a fullback for the Sooners from 1997 to 2000. He was also a captain on OU’s 2000 national championship team.
A lack of offensive production
The Sooners (4-3, 1-3) lost back-to-back weeks against SEC opponents in blowout fashion. That included a 34-3 loss to Texas in the Red River Rivalry, and a 35-9 loss to South Carolina.
The coaching staff tried different things against the Gamecocks, with Finley joining Littrell upstairs in the coach’s box. It ended up being OU’s worst home loss to an unranked team since losing 52-24 to Kansas in 1996.
After being elevated from his offensive analyst position, Littrell had Oklahoma ranked 93rd in scoring offense and 125th in total offense nationally this season. The Sooners have been searching for answers to sustain offensive production all season.
Freshman Michael Hawkins Jr. started the game against South Carolina after taking over at quarterback in the Sooners’ 25-15 loss to Tennessee. He replaced Jackson Arnold in that UT game, and Arnold would then take over for Hawkins this past Saturday.
The offensive stats are ugly for OU so far in 2024. Their 22.1 points per game ranks just 107th out of 134 Division I-FBS teams. A big culprit of that lack of production stems from the inability to produce a rushing attack. The offense averages just 4.1 yards per play as the run game can’t get going. Just two teams — Stanford and FBS-level newcomer Kennesaw State — are averaging fewer yards per play than Oklahoma.
Hawkins and Arnold are a combined 124-of-210 passing for 1,239 yards and have thrown nine touchdowns to five interceptions.
Was it injuries, or coaching?
To be fair to Littrell and the Oklahoma offense, injuries have been a major detriment to the offense this season. The Sooners have been playing much of the season without their top five wide receivers. The team’s No. 1 receiver to start the year, Deion Burks, has played just four games this season. He has 26 catches for 201 yards and three scores. Just one other player — Brenen Thompson — has caught more than one TD pass.
So while all the problems may not be the fault of offensive coordinator, the Sooners needed to make a change. And for now, it starts with Littrell; and at this point, who knows how it will end by the time the season is over.
