Jason Witten named Oklahoma tight ends coach

Oklahoma officially introduced Dallas Cowboys great Jason Witten as its new tight ends coach on Thursday.

It is the first collegiate coaching position for Witten, who replaces Joe Jon Finley on Brent Venables' staff.

Witten, 43, was an 11-time Pro Bowl tight end for the Cowboys (2003-17, 2019) and Las Vegas Raiders (2020).

"I love football and I love teaching the game, and Oklahoma is as prestigious a college football program as there is in the country," Witten said. "So I'm thankful to Coach Venables for the opportunity to work together. It's been clear to me from the outset that he's one of the best leaders of men in football. And he has the pieces in place to compete for championships, so I'm excited to work under him. ... It's a tremendous opportunity and I'm proud to be a Sooner."

Since 2021, Witten has been the head coach at Liberty Christian School outside Dallas, where his son, Cooper, is ranked as the No. 1 linebacker in the Class of 2027 by the 247Sports composite rankings.

"When you talk about Jason Witten you start with the impeccable human being he is," Venables said. "That's as a competitor, a leader, a coach, a dad, a husband. He's one of those rare people who represents incredibly high character, integrity and excellence. He's a tremendous communicator blessed with unbelievable interpersonal skills. That's who he was as a leader in the locker room as a player, and you can see the impact and influence he had as a head coach at the high school level at Liberty Christian. He's really special in that regard."

A two-time All-Pro, Witten caught 1,228 passes for 13,046 yards and 74 touchdowns in 271 games and was named the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year in 2012.

A third-round pick by Dallas out of Tennessee in the 2003 NFL Draft, Witten is the Cowboys' all-time leader in receptions (1,215) and receiving yards (12,977) and ranks second in touchdowns (72), one behind Dez Bryant.

Witten is a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Class of 2026, his first year of eligibility.

--Field Level Media