Jan. 15 (UPI) — The Oklahoma Sooners hired former Dallas Cowboys Pro Bowl tight end Jason Witten as their new tight ends coach, they announced Thursday.

Witten, 43, was the head coach at Liberty Christian (Argyle, Texas) from 2021 to 2025. He led the Warriors to back-to-back state titles in 2023 and 2024.

“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 in a news release.

“So, I’m thankful to coach Brent 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 and coach Ben Arbuckle and with the rest of the staff.”

Witten starred at Tennessee from 2000 to 2002. He joined the Cowboys as a third-round pick in the 2003 NFL Draft. Witten went on to earn 11 Pro Bowl selections and two All-Pro nods.

His 1,215 receptions and 12,977 receiving yards are the most in Cowboys history. Witten ranks second on the Cowboys’ all-time touchdown receptions (72) list, trailing only Dez Bryant (73).

Witten, who spent his final season with the Las Vegas Raiders in 2020, ranks fourth in NFL history with 1,228 career receptions, trailing only Jerry Rice, Larry Fitzgerald and Tony Gonzalez. He is one of 15 modern-era finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s class of 2026.

“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.”

The Sooners, who went 10-3 in 2025-26, parted ways with former tight ends coach Joe Jon Finley this off-season.

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto (C) celebrates with teammates after the Dodgers defeat the Toronto Blue Jays 5-4 in 11 innings in Game 7 to win the World Series in Toronto on November 1, 2025. Photo by Aaron Josefczyk/UPI | License Photo