Posted on by

Seth Littrell was fired in his first year as OU football offensive coordinator

Seth Littrell was fired in his first year as OU football offensive coordinator

NORMAN — Head coach Brent Venables and OU football are making a change.

Offensive coordinator Seth Littrell, who was hired last December to replace Jeff Lebby, has been fired, Venables announced Sunday. On an interim basis, Joe Jon Finley will continue his role as co-offensive coordinator while also assuming primary responsibility for game management. Senior offensive analyst Kevin Johns is named assistant offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.

SoonerScoop.com was the first to report Finley and Johns’ firing and new roles.

Littrell’s firing comes after Saturday’s 35-9 loss to South Carolina, the Sooners’ worst home defeat since 2014.

“Seth is an all-time great Sooner,” Venables said in a statement released Sunday. “He has a deep love for this university and football program and has put his heart and soul into both. Still, our offensive performance this season was not at all up to OU standards and I felt a change was necessary now.”

Required reading: Seth Littrell’s firing might make OU football fans feel better, but let’s not celebrate

For the first time this season, both Littrell and Finley were in the locker room during the game.

Johns started the game in the locker room, but after the Gamecocks took a 21-0 lead early in the first quarter, he returned to the sideline, where he had been all season.

“The leadership role that Joe Jon plays on our team is critical,” Venables said. “He has the trust of our locker room and coaching staff, and I am grateful to him for taking on this expanded role midway through the season. Kevin joined our staff last spring as an offensive analyst after serving as offensive coordinator for over a decade.

“He has extensive experience coordinating offenses and coaching quarterbacks, and I look forward to the fresh approach he will bring and the increased role he will play in offensive game planning. I am confident that Joe Jon, Kevin and… The rest of the offensive staff will work tirelessly to put our players in successful positions and make us more effective on that side of the ball.”

Littrell’s contract runs through 2026 and pays $1.1 million per year. OU’s offense is ranked 129th nationally. Littrell was scheduled to receive a $50,000 raise from the current $1.1 million on February 1, 2025 and February 1, 2026.

Littrell, a Muskogee native, helped OU win the national title in 2000 as a fullback.

“This is my alma mater,” Littrell said Saturday. “Of course I want to win championships here, just like everyone else and like every other coach and every other player in the locker room. That means a lot to me. But at the same time, you really need to focus on who you’re going into battle with every day. You have to trust each other and believe in each other, support each other.”

Finley has been coaching the Sooners’ tight ends since 2021. Johns served as the Dukes’ offensive coordinator last season.

Next up, the Sooners travel without Littrell against Mississippi on Saturday at 11 a.m. on ESPN.

More: OU Football vs. Mississippi: TV channel, betting line, scouting report for Week 9 game

(This article has been updated to add new information.)