Four New Head Coaches Add Uncertainty to Oklahoma’s Already Tough 2026 Slate

No, the Oklahoma Sooners won't be playing the Iron Bowl participants in 2026, or head to Death Valley at night. But, make no mistake, OU's 2026 slate appears to be another difficult one to navigate.

Oklahoma will travel to Michigan, Georgia and Florida for the first time in program history in each setting. The five week stretch from Ann Arbor, to Athens and finally to Dallas for the Red River Rivalry is one of the more treacherous sequences of games in recent memory.

Not to mention OU will also host two current College Football Playoff squads in Ole Miss and Texas A&M in November.

One factor that could prove influential in the Sooners' schedule difficulty — among OU's 2026 foes, four programs welcome first-year head coaches. While that may sound like an advantage, and it could very well prove to be, it could turn a light week into hell week quickly.

With Michigan adding former Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham, the Sooners Sep. 12 challenge with the Wolverines takes on a new vibe. As with any coaching transition, Michigan could lose or gain any number of players that makes the week two matchup more or less intriguing on paper.

Whittingham is a winner, posting a 67% win percentage during his 20-year tenure with the Utes. If any of the four new head coaches can hit the ground running quickly, it's Whittingham.

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Former Oregon offensive coordinator Will Stein will look to build off Mark Stoops' long tenure with the Kentucky Wildcats. The Oct. 17 matchup in Norman serves as the second time ever these two programs will meet on Owen Field, fourth overall.

Stein has actually coached against Oklahoma in the past — having served under Charlie Strong's Texas staff as a quality control staffer from 2015-17.

Of the four new head coaches on the Sooners' schedule, Stein appears to have the toughest gig. Kentucky week is typically a time where you can catch a breath in conference, but Stein's recent history at Oregon and the University of Texas—San Antonio could ignite a fast start for the Wildcats.

Their placement on the schedule demands attention — the week after the Red River Rivalry. At that point, OU will have played Michigan, Georgia and Texas. If any offensive mind can find a weakness in a defense, it's Stein, and the Sooners will have put out plenty of film to watch by then.

WIll Stein — New Kentucky Wildcat head coach Will Stein makes remarks as he is introduced at Kentucky on Wednesday, December 3, 2025 | Michael Clevenger/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

OU's first ever trip to the Swamp will pit them against a familiar face in former Tulane head man Jon Sumrall.

Brent Venables and the Sooners bested Sumrall's Green Wave in 2024. The Nov. 7 matchup will be two teams against each other whose schedules would frighten anyone. The Gators will have traveled to Auburn, Missouri and Texas before facing Georgia the week before their game with Oklahoma.

Sumrall has also done a lot of winning in his young head coaching tenure, posting a 43-12 record at both Troy and Tulane.

The fourth new head coach came as a consequence of one of the more controversial head coaching moves of the season. Once Lane Kiffin bolted for the bayou, Ole Miss looked to defensive coordinator Pete Golding to not only lead the Rebels in the College Football Playoff, but to become the program's 39th head coach moving forward.

Ole Miss Head Coach Pete Golding | Lauren Witte/Clarion Ledger / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Oklahoma has had three chances against a Golding-led defense — the 2019 Orange Bowl when he was Alabama's co-defensive coordinator and the previous two seasons against Ole Miss. The Sooners have yet to land a knockout punch at Golding, but in 2026 due to scheduling, they'll have another chance in Norman for a second year in a row.

As it stands, the 2026 schedule is another crucible for Venables' program. Any number of these coaches can start fast and make these games more difficult than they appear on paper.

Of course, the opposite can occur, giving the Sooners some breathing room on the schedule. But this is the SEC. LSU had a bad season in 2025 — making their matchup with OU less stressful on paper heading into the game, and the Sooners still needed every one of those 60 minutes to secure the win.

New faces, same old SEC. It's tough.