Oklahoma OC Ben Arbuckle linked to potential head coach opening, per report
By Jacob Moss
Published:
It may only be week 3 of the 2025 college football season, but the coaching carousel is already starting to spin up as several high-profile head coaches’ seats are beginning to heat up.
One man who is starting to feel the pressure a bit is long-time Oklahoma State Cowboys’ head man Mike Gundy, who is coming off a 69-3 beatdown at the hands of the No. 4 Oregon Ducks.
Gundy has been at the helm in Stillwater for the past 20 years, but recent years have seen his job security deteriorate rapidly, and he now appears to be on his last leg with the Cowboys.
According to The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman, some believe that the Cowboys will target Oklahoma offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle to replace Gundy should the latter actually end up being fired. Here’s an excerpt from Feldman’s report:
Gundy, who has a $15 million buyout, entered the season on a hot seat, and it has only gotten hotter.”
“Who could follow him in Stillwater? Some inside Oklahoma think Sooners offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle could be a target. Arbuckle, who turns 30 next week, has put a much-needed jolt into Oklahoma’s offense. In a 24-13 win against No. 15 Michigan last week, dynamic dual-threat QB John Mateer, who followed Arbuckle to Norman from Washington State, accounted for three touchdowns and helped the Sooners convert nine of 17 third-down tries.
Replacing a 20-plus-year head coach like Gundy with a career coordinator would certainly be a very interesting move, but if the powers that be in Stillwater believe he’s the best choice, then it would be hard for Arbuckle not to take the opportunity.
That being said, there’s still a long way to go before any type of decision about Gundy’s future ends up being made, and Arbuckle and the Sooners still have their own College Football Playoff aspirations to worry about.
