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Oklahoma has yet to hire its new defensive coordinator or linebackers coach, but athletic director Joe Castiglione has a message for Sooners fans who are getting antsy because the hire hasn’t been made yet.
“It’s going well. And yes, very close,” Castiglione told reporters on Thursday.
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Oklahoma recently missed out on hiring former Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles, who agreed to a deal to become Penn State’s defensive coordinator and the highest-paid assistant coach in the country. Oklahoma reportedly offered Knowles an annual salary of up to $3 million but couldn’t lure Knowles to Norman after he helped lead the Buckeyes to a national championship.
The Sooners will be replacing Zac Alley, who departed for West Virginia after just 1 season. Oklahoma’s defense ranked 31st nationally this past season, with Alley being named a nominee for the Broyles Award, which is given to the top assistant coach in college football.
The Sooners will return a wealth of strong defensive players in 2025, with defensive end R Mason Thomas and defensive tackle Damonic Williams recently announcing their returns to Norman. Safeties Peyton Bowen and Robert Spears-Jennings, linebackers Kip Lewis and Kobie McKinzie, and defensive tackles Gracen Halton and Jayden Jackson will also be back.
Now, they all just need someone to coach them, and Castiglione said that person will be hired very soon.
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
