On Monday, the University of Oklahoma employed Ben Arbuckle to be the soccer crew’s subsequent offensive coordinator. ESPN school soccer senior author Pete Thamel reported the information first on X, previously often known as Twitter, which was confirmed by the Globe-News.
OU formally introduced the rent on Monday night.
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Arbuckle heads to Norman after holding the identical place at Washington State, however the Sooners’ latest workers member is initially from the Texas Panhandle. Arbuckle performed highschool soccer at Canadian and was the beginning quarterback at West Texas A&M for 2 seasons.
OU fired the crew’s earlier offensive coordinator, Seth Littrell, in the course of its 2024 marketing campaign. Since relieving the previous North Texas head coach from his duties, Arbuckle has been closely linked to the opening.
After reviews Arbuckle was additionally in line to be the subsequent offensive coordinator at Utah, Oklahoma formally introduced the previous Wildcat’s rent.
Here are three issues to learn about Ben Arbuckle as he takes over in Norman.
Arbuckle’s profession started within the Texas Panhandle
Arbuckle’s path to teaching started when he was a sophomore in highschool.
The former Canadian High School standout took over because the crew’s beginning quarterback throughout his second 12 months with the Wildcats, happening to have a stable profession in Hemphill County. Quarterbacking one of the vital constant applications within the Texas Panhandle, Arbuckle earned all-state honors as a junior and senior.
In his closing 12 months because the Wildcats’ beginning quarterback, Arbuckle led Canadian to a 12-2 total report and a state quarterfinals look. During his time at Canadian High, Arbuckle performed alongside fellow Wildcats quarterback Tanner Schafer, who went on to play for the Sooners from 2016-21 earlier than taking a place on OU’s help workers.
Schafer is now an offensive analyst at Mississippi State underneath former Oklahoma offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby.
Arbuckle had a stable stint in Canyon
Following his highschool profession, Arbuckle took a hiatus from soccer, however finally continued taking part in at West Texas A&M University.
At WT, Arbuckle was underneath the tutelage of head coach Hunter Hughes and offensive coordinator Ryan McDonough. McDonough has since died, and Hughes is now the defensive backs coach on the University of Idaho.
Arbuckle spent two years because the Buffs’ beginning quarterback, notching a profession efficiency towards former Lone Star Conference foe Oklahoma Panhandle State on Oct. 15, 2016. In a 42-14 win towards OPSU, Arbuckle threw for 292 yards and tossed six touchdowns.
The subsequent week, Arbuckle helped lead WTAMU to a win over then-No. 4 Midwestern State with two landing passes and nil interceptions. Arbuckle completed his profession at West Texas A&M throughout the 2017 season and graduated in 2018 with a level in finance.
Arbuckle’s teaching profession has included 4 stops earlier than OU
After graduating from WTAMU, Arbuckle was provided a possibility to affix Houston Christian’s teaching workers in a high quality management place by then-offensive coordinator Zach Kittley.
This relationship would show to alter the trajectory of Arbuckle’s profession just some years later.
Arbuckle spent two seasons in Houston earlier than returning to west Texas as a member of Seminole High School’s workers. The younger coach spent 2020 because the Indians’ offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach earlier than reuniting with Kittley at Western Kentucky.
Arbuckle was initially in one other high quality management place earlier than Texas Tech employed Kittley to be the crew’s offensive coordinator and the Hilltoppers elevated the Texas Panhandle product to co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.
After serving to mentor gamers like Bailey Zappe at WKU, Washington State employed Arbuckle to be the Cougars’ offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. In two years, the well-traveled play caller has helped WSU develop one of many nation’s high offenses.
Washington State completed the season ranked No. 22 within the FBS in complete offense, with Arbuckle’s mentor, Kittley, main Texas Tech to a Tenth-place end in the identical statistical class. After a robust marketing campaign for the Cougars’ offense, Arbuckle was named a nominee for the Broyles Award, given yearly to school soccer’s high assistant coach.
At 29, Arbuckle continues to be very early in his profession however has already discovered success at 4 totally different stops. Now, the up-and-coming offensive coordinator has landed an offensive coordinator job at an SEC program just some hours away from his hometown.
“Right off the bat, my first dialog with Coach Venables acquired me actually excited,” Arbuckle mentioned in a press launch. “To have this chance to affix the University of Oklahoma soccer program, with its longstanding custom of excellence, was so engaging to me and I needed to be part of it greater than something.”
