All right, folks. We've been working nonstop all night to dredge up information, and after a few sourced conversations this evening, I've got some insight to pass along.
— First off, I'm told Jeff Lebby's departure from Oklahoma was quite amicable, which should come as no surprise given Brent Venables' comments after the game Saturday. In response to a question about Lebby's name being linked to the Mississippi State vacancy, Venables said, "I want all my guys to have opportunity. I’ll support them in any way I can. My charge to all the staff is, everything has its time. Some of it is not ideal time. Stay focused and locked in to what we’ve got to do, and that’s what our players deserve. Don’t be a distraction. But I’m for all my guys having opportunity to advance their careers."
— To that point, I'm told Venables and Lebby talked things out cordially and came to an agreement that Lebby's new staff at Mississippi State would not try to flip any Oklahoma commits. I'm also told that over the course of that conversation, Lebby made it clear that he trusts Joe Jon Finley to inherit playcalling duties, and that he would vouch for the Sooners' tight ends coach to become his successor in that regard. Thus, despite the fact that Seth Littrell may be the betting favorite at the moment, I would not disregard Finley in the offensive coordinator conversation moving forward. Several sources have affirmed that the hire is likely (note: likely) to come from within the program, despite the fact that Oklahoma does intend to interview external candidates. As such, Littrell and Finley should be considered the top two candidates at the moment, with the obvious acknowledgment that we're only eight hours into the search.
— If it's Littrell, that creates a bit of a conundrum, as he has experience coaching tight ends and running backs but not quarterbacks. Lebby's defection creates multiple voids, as he called plays but also coached the quarterbacks. The Sooners would either have to shuffle their on-field staff in a major way, or Littrell would have to coach a position he's never coached before (it's worth noting that the last such experiment at OU, which was Roy Manning as a cornerbacks coach, did not pan out at all). Now, if the Sooners were to tab Finley as the OC, it would create a scenario in which the only remaining step would be the hiring (or promotion) of a quarterbacks coach. That's arguably the most efficient solution imaginable. There are already several viable candidates within the program, including Matt Wells, J.P. Losman and even Tanner Schafer. As I stated in an earlier note, I do expect assistant quarterbacks coach Matt Holecek to follow Lebby to Starkville.
— I'll add that Venables and the rest of the staff have been proactive in communicating with the commits and their families. I touched base with Michael Hawkins' camp late tonight, and I learned that Venables spoke with the four-star quarterback pledge once again today. I'm told that conversation helped assuage Hawkins' concerns about his fit at Oklahoma post-Lebby, and there is little reason to worry about his commitment status moving forward. That said, don't be alarmed if you see photos of Lebby in attendance at Hawkins' game this Friday. The newly minted Mississippi State head coach still intends to drop by; he'd long since promised to come watch Hawkins and plans to honor that promise. Granted, those plans may change based on how the week goes in Starkville, but either way, don't get antsy if you see pics of Lebby at The Star in Frisco this Friday. Just trying to get ahead of a potential meltdown here.
— First off, I'm told Jeff Lebby's departure from Oklahoma was quite amicable, which should come as no surprise given Brent Venables' comments after the game Saturday. In response to a question about Lebby's name being linked to the Mississippi State vacancy, Venables said, "I want all my guys to have opportunity. I’ll support them in any way I can. My charge to all the staff is, everything has its time. Some of it is not ideal time. Stay focused and locked in to what we’ve got to do, and that’s what our players deserve. Don’t be a distraction. But I’m for all my guys having opportunity to advance their careers."
— To that point, I'm told Venables and Lebby talked things out cordially and came to an agreement that Lebby's new staff at Mississippi State would not try to flip any Oklahoma commits. I'm also told that over the course of that conversation, Lebby made it clear that he trusts Joe Jon Finley to inherit playcalling duties, and that he would vouch for the Sooners' tight ends coach to become his successor in that regard. Thus, despite the fact that Seth Littrell may be the betting favorite at the moment, I would not disregard Finley in the offensive coordinator conversation moving forward. Several sources have affirmed that the hire is likely (note: likely) to come from within the program, despite the fact that Oklahoma does intend to interview external candidates. As such, Littrell and Finley should be considered the top two candidates at the moment, with the obvious acknowledgment that we're only eight hours into the search.
— If it's Littrell, that creates a bit of a conundrum, as he has experience coaching tight ends and running backs but not quarterbacks. Lebby's defection creates multiple voids, as he called plays but also coached the quarterbacks. The Sooners would either have to shuffle their on-field staff in a major way, or Littrell would have to coach a position he's never coached before (it's worth noting that the last such experiment at OU, which was Roy Manning as a cornerbacks coach, did not pan out at all). Now, if the Sooners were to tab Finley as the OC, it would create a scenario in which the only remaining step would be the hiring (or promotion) of a quarterbacks coach. That's arguably the most efficient solution imaginable. There are already several viable candidates within the program, including Matt Wells, J.P. Losman and even Tanner Schafer. As I stated in an earlier note, I do expect assistant quarterbacks coach Matt Holecek to follow Lebby to Starkville.
— I'll add that Venables and the rest of the staff have been proactive in communicating with the commits and their families. I touched base with Michael Hawkins' camp late tonight, and I learned that Venables spoke with the four-star quarterback pledge once again today. I'm told that conversation helped assuage Hawkins' concerns about his fit at Oklahoma post-Lebby, and there is little reason to worry about his commitment status moving forward. That said, don't be alarmed if you see photos of Lebby in attendance at Hawkins' game this Friday. The newly minted Mississippi State head coach still intends to drop by; he'd long since promised to come watch Hawkins and plans to honor that promise. Granted, those plans may change based on how the week goes in Starkville, but either way, don't get antsy if you see pics of Lebby at The Star in Frisco this Friday. Just trying to get ahead of a potential meltdown here.
