A few weeks after the Oklahoma Sooners relieved Seth Littrell of his duties as offensive coordinator, former Canadian and West Texas A&M quarterback Ben Arbuckle has been heavily linked to the opening.
Arbuckle is currently the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Washington State, which boasts the No. 19 passing offense and No. 42 rushing offense in the FBS as of Nov. 22. The Sooners have struggled during their first season in the SEC, sitting at 5-5 with games against Alabama and LSU left on the schedule.
To cure a sputtering offense, OU has already started looking for its next offensive coordinator and hopes to announce a hire by Dec. 2, according to former Sooners’ offensive lineman Gabe Ikard. Per multiple sources, Arbuckle appears to be one of the primary candidates in Oklahoma’s search.
Ryan Chapman of Oklahoma Sooners on SI listed Arbuckle first on his most recent hot board of Oklahoma offensive coordinator candidates, and George Stoia of On3’s SoonerScoop described Arbuckle as one of the “premier candidates” in OU’s hunt for its next play caller.
Arbuckle’s football roots can be traced back to Canadian High School, where he played quarterback until graduating in 2014. In addition to earning all-state honors in football as a junior and senior, Arbuckle also competed in basketball, track, tennis and golf during his time in Hemphill County.
After his high school career, the former Wildcats’ star played football for head coach Hunter Hughes and offensive coordinator Ryan McDonough at West Texas A&M. Arbuckle spent three seasons on the Buffaloes‘ roster, graduating from WT in 2018 with a dual degree in Finance and Economics.
Since graduating from college, Arbuckle has traveled the typical route of a young coach, but has risen quickly through the ranks. At 29-years-old, the former Canadian star is in his second season as Washington State’s offensive coordinator and could have an SEC job offer in-hand before turning 30.
Arbuckle’s coaching career began at Houston Christian (formerly Houston Baptist), where he spent the 2018 and 2019 seasons in a quality control position. After his time with the Huskies, Arbuckle briefly returned to West Texas as an offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Seminole High School.
Following his lone season in Seminole, Arbuckle joined Zach Kittley’s staff at Western Kentucky in another quality control position. Kittley and Arbuckle first crossed paths when Kittley, now Texas Tech’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, was in the same position at Houston Christian.
In 2022, just one year after starting with the Hilltoppers, Arbuckle was elevated to co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.
In January 2023, the former Canadian and West Texas A&M signal caller was hired to be the Cougars’ offensive coordinator and quarterback’s coach, where he has found success with multiple quarterbacks through the air raid scheme.
Under Arbuckle and head coach Jake Dickert, Washington State is 8-2 and was ranked No. 25 in the most recent College Football Playoff rankings. After two years of success in Pullman, WA, Arbuckle’s rapid rise in the coaching world could continue if the Sooners elect to tap the Texas Panhandle product for their offensive coordinator opening.
This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Former Canadian, WTAMU QB linked to Oklahoma offensive coordinator job
