Oklahoma, Defensive Coordinator Ted Roof ‘Mutually Agree to Part Ways’
Ted Roof is out as the Oklahoma defensive coordinator after the Sooners and second-year defensive coordinator “mutually agreed to part ways” heading into the offseason.
Head coach Brent Venables made the announcement on Thursday, saying he has the utmost respect and appreciation for Roof, whom he hired from Clemson when he took the OU job in 2021.
“I have the utmost respect and appreciation for Ted,” Venables said in a statement. “I told him Wednesday I made a decision to go in a new direction at defensive coordinator and offered him an opportunity to remain on our staff in a different role. He explained that he has a deep desire to keep coaching and will look to do that at a different school.
“Ted is an incredibly knowledgeable coach and teacher, and his players love playing for him. Our program is thankful for his extreme dedication the last two seasons and for helping make us better.”
Oklahoma’s defense was putrid in their first year under Roof, ranking 98th in scoring defense (30.0 ppg) and 121st in total defense (461.0 ypg) in 2022. However, with the amount of roster turnover and schematic changes, that was partly to be expected, especially after what the OU defense looked like under Lincoln Riley.
In Year 2 however, the Sooners’ defense took major strides, ranking 46th in scoring defense (23.5 ppg) and 78th in total defense (389.4 ypg). Additionally, Oklahoma ranked second nationally in interceptions (20), sixth in turnovers gained (26), seventh in tackles for loss per game (7.5), eighth in tackles for loss per game (7.3), and 14th in third-down conversion percentage defense (.311; up from .409 in 2022).
Oklahoma will immediately begin its search for a new defensive coordinator, and in doing so, will hire its second coordinator since the regular season came to an end. With Seth Littrell replacing Jeff Lebby as offensive coordinator and now someone set to fill Roof’s shoes running the defense, OU will enter the SEC with new play callers on each side of the ball.
