OU duo snubbed from five best SEC coordinator pairings for 2026

There's no shortage of excellent or intriguing offensive and defensive coordinator pairings in the SEC this season. With new head coaches sprinkled throughout the league, there's been heavy turnover in the coordinator ranks, as well as returning head coaches opting for a different coordinator this year.

>SEC Mike and Cousin Shane, the hosts of "That SEC Podcast", were asked to rank their top coordinator duos in the conference for this season. The Oklahoma Sooners, despite feeling good internally about where they stand in that department, were not among the five duos listed.

>Florida (OC Buster Faulkner and DC Brad White), LSU (OC Charlie Weis Jr. and DC Blake Baker), Georgia (OC Mike Bobo and DC Glenn Schumann), Alabama (OC Ryan Grubb and DC Kane Wommack), and South Carolina (OC Kendal Briles and DC Clayton White) were the five schools that the podcast chose to highlight.

>This means that OU's duo of offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Ben Arbuckle and associate head coach/co-defensive coordinator/run defense coach/defensive tackles coach Todd Bates did not make the cut. Notably, the list included strictly coordinators, and not play-callers, as the Sooners have one of the best defensive play-callers in the nation in head coach Brent Venables.

>While Venables runs the defense, his right-hand man is Bates, who has been with him since his days at Clemson. He's been by Venables' side in Norman, helping the Sooners build a strong defensive unit, especially up front in the trenches. Bates is an excellent recruiter and coach, arguably the best position coach the Sooners employ.

>Entering his second season in Norman, Arbuckle still has something to prove. Though he helped the offense take a step forward last year, it still wasn't enough of an improvement. The young QB guru and Air Raid disciple will be looking to help Oklahoma fly up these rankings by next offseason.

>The Sooners are in good hands defensively with Venables at the controls, but also with Bates as the chief lieutenant. Pair that with an offensive coordinator who has plenty of potential and gained valuable SEC experience last year, and Oklahoma has to like where they're at with the leadership on both sides of the ball heading into this season.

Oklahoma coordinators since 1999(*) signifies play-caller. Head coach called plays if play-caller is not designated

1999: Mike Leach* (OC), Mike Stoops* and Brent Venables (co-DCs) • >2000: Mark Mangino* (OC), Mike Stoops* and Brent Venables (co-DCs) • >2001: Mark Mangino* (OC), Mike Stoops* and Brent Venables (co-DCs) • >2002: Chuck Long* and Kevin Wilson (co-OCs), Mike Stoops* and Brent Venables (co-DCs) • >2003: Chuck Long* and Kevin Wilson (co-OCs), Mike Stoops* and Brent Venables (co-DCs) • >2004: Chuck Long* and Kevin Wilson (co-OCs), Brent Venables* and Bo Pelini (co-DCs) • >2005: Chuck Long* and Kevin Wilson (co-OCs), Brent Venables* and Bobby Jack Wright (co-DCs) • >2006: Kevin Wilson* and Kevin Sumlin (co-OCs), Brent Venables* and Bobby Jack Wright (co-DCs) • >2007: Kevin Wilson* and Kevin Sumlin (co-OCs), Brent Venables* and Bobby Jack Wright (co-DCs) • >2008: Kevin Wilson* (OC), Brent Venables* (DC) • >2009: Kevin Wilson* (OC), Brent Venables* (DC) • >2010: Kevin Wilson* (OC), Brent Venables* (DC) • >2011: Josh Heupel* and Jay Norvell (co-OCs), Brent Venables* (DC) • >2012: Josh Heupel* and Jay Norvell (co-OCs), Mike Stoops* (DC) • >2013: Josh Heupel* and Jay Norvell (co-OCs), Mike Stoops* (DC) • >2014: Josh Heupel* and Jay Norvell (co-OCs), Mike Stoops* (DC) • >2015: Lincoln Riley* (OC), Mike Stoops* (DC) • >2016: Lincoln Riley* (OC), Mike Stoops* (DC) • >2017: Cale Gundy and Bill Bedenbaugh (co-OCs), Mike Stoops* (DC) • >2018: Cale Gundy and Bill Bedenbaugh (co-OCs), Mike Stoops* (DC), Ruffin McNeill* (interim DC) • >2019: Cale Gundy and Bill Bedenbuagh (co-OCs), Alex Grinch* (DC) • >2020: Cale Gundy and Bill Bedenbaugh (co-OCs), Alex Grinch* (DC) • >2021: Cale Gundy and Bill Bedenbaugh (co-OCs), Alex Grinch* (DC), Brian Odom* (interim DC) • >2022: Jeff Lebby* (OC), Ted Roof*, Todd Bates, and Jay Valai (co-DCs) • >2023: Jeff Lebby* (OC), Ted Roof, Todd Bates, and Jay Valai (co-DCs) • >2024: Seth Littrell* and Joe Jon Finley (co-OCs), Joe Jon Finley* and Kevin Johns (interim co-OCs), Zac Alley*, Todd Bates, and Jay Valai (co-DCs) • >2025: Ben Arbuckle* (OC), Todd Bates and Jay Valai (co-DCs) • >2026: Ben Arbuckle* (OC), Todd Bates (co-DC)Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes and opinions. You can also follow Aaron on X@Aaron_Gelvin.

>This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: Oklahoma coordinators not included among best SEC tandems for 2026