Brent Venables makes another offensive staff change amid ongoing struggles in player development and production at the tight end position
In a significant move to reshape the offensive coaching staff, the University of Oklahoma is expected to part ways with tight ends coach Joe Jon Finley, according to a report from SoonerScoop.com.
Finley, a former Sooner player and longtime assistant, first joined the Oklahoma coaching staff in 2021 as the associate head coach for offense and tight ends/H-backs coach.
He quickly became a key figure in the program's offensive structure, earning a promotion in 2024 to co-offensive coordinator while retaining his responsibilities with the tight end position group.
During that season, Finley even stepped in as the primary play-caller for the final stretch of games following midseason changes.
However, despite his deep ties to the university and his elevated role, the tight end unit under his guidance has faced ongoing challenges, marked by inconsistent production, high turnover, and heavy reliance on transfers and position conversions rather than homegrown development.
The struggles at tight end have been particularly evident in recent years.
Oklahoma's most productive tight end in the latest season was senior Jaren Kanak, a former linebacker who switched positions and led the group with 44 receptions for 533 yards. Those numbers represented the highest output by a Sooners tight end since Mark Andrews' standout 2017 campaign.
While Kanak's contributions provided a bright spot, they also highlighted the position's broader issues: a lack of depth and development from high school recruits signed specifically for the role.
Over Finley's roughly five-year tenure in Norman overseeing the tight ends, players he recruited directly from high school—excluding transfers or inherited talent—combined for just nine receptions, 84 yards, and two touchdowns.
This underwhelming production from recruited prospects has been a point of criticism, especially as the program has turned to the transfer portal for the second straight offseason to rebuild the room.
The reliance on portal additions underscores a failure to establish consistent pipeline development at a position historically vital to Oklahoma's offensive identity.
This decision comes amid broader offensive adjustments under head coach Brent Venables. The Sooners have experienced multiple staff shakeups on that side of the ball in consecutive years.
Previously, Venables made a midseason change by dismissing offensive coordinator Seth Littrell, with Finley assuming play-calling duties at that time.
Heading into the most recent offseason, Oklahoma brought in Ben Arbuckle from Washington State as the new offensive coordinator, aiming to inject fresh ideas and spark improvement.
While Arbuckle's first year brought some positive steps forward, the offense still faltered in key stretches, failing to meet the high expectations associated with the program's storied history.
The lack of sustained progress, particularly in player development at tight end and overall offensive execution, appears to have culminated in this move.
In fact, earlier analysis from Sooners Roundtable identified replacing Finley as a top priority for an ideal offseason, emphasizing the need for new energy and recruiting prowess at the position to restore its effectiveness.
Finley's coaching journey before returning to his alma mater included stops at several prominent programs. He served as tight ends coach at Baylor, Missouri, Texas A&M, and Ole Miss, bringing experience from varied offensive schemes.
As a player, Finley was a standout tight end for Oklahoma from 2004 to 2007, contributing to multiple Big 12 championship teams and earning honorable mention All-Big 12 honors.
His career stats placed him among the top tight ends in program history at the time, and he briefly pursued an NFL path before transitioning to coaching.
With this change, Oklahoma's search for a new tight ends coach is underway immediately, as the program looks to address one of its most pressing positional needs heading into the next cycle.
Fans and analysts will be watching closely for the next hire, hoping it brings renewed success in recruiting, development, and on-field production.
