Jason Witten is calling plays for Oklahoma, and he just led them to a dominant 23-7 upset at Florida last weekend. The former NFL tight end isn’t just a celebrity on the sidelines. He’s proving he has the goods, a stark contrast to how another NFL legend is about to jump headfirst into the college coaching world.
The Oklahoma Climb
Witten joined Oklahoma’s coaching staff in January as a tight ends coach. His goal was always to learn, knowing he was starting late after such a long playing career. After retiring from pro football, he spent five years coaching at a private school in Dallas where his sons played, an experience he loved. But when it was time to step up, Witten didn’t chase some glamorous head coaching gig like other ex-NFL stars. Nope, he wanted to learn the ropes from the inside.
Nobody, absolutely nobody, expected that by November, Witten would be calling plays. Oklahoma coach Brent Venables fired offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle and promoted Witten to take over for the rest of the season. Venables was clear about it: “He’s got all the right stuff, all the right qualities. His motives are pure. He loves the game, he loves the players.” Witten’s debut as a play-caller was a stunner, with the offense looking far more functional than it had all season during that 23-7 win. It was a proper start to what could be a huge coaching career.
The NC State Gamble
Meanwhile, something entirely different is brewing at North Carolina State. At some point this week, NC State is expected to finalize the hire of Philip Rivers, their 44-year-old alum. Like Witten, Rivers coached high school ball right after his NFL career ended. But here’s the kicker: Rivers isn’t going to spend a single day on someone else’s staff before taking over a job loaded with pressures and responsibilities that even 17 years in the NFL couldn’t prepare him for.
If this deal goes through, the track record for such moves isn’t pretty. We’ve seen prominent high school coaches like Gerry Faust at Notre Dame and Tony Sanchez at UNLV go straight to college head coaching jobs. We’ve watched famous former NFL players like Trent Dilfer take over at UAB. It’s been failure after failure for FBS schools that hire coaches without any college experience. Sure, Rivers played quarterback in 247 NFL games, so his understanding of the sport is unquestioned. And his undying passion for NC State, as an alum, is real. It’s no surprise that with Dave Doeren struggling, boosters and administrators convinced themselves Rivers is uniquely suited for the challenge. But if you’re an NC State fan, looking with honest eyes, you have to be wondering: don’t you wish Rivers had taken the path Witten is on?
What happens next for Rivers at NC State will be under a massive microscope. Will he defy history and become the exception to the rule, or will this be another cautionary tale for teams chasing NFL celebrity?
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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