Jason Witten Latest Former NFL Star to Make Jump to College Coaching

NORMAN — For more than a decade, Jason Witten was an NFL star.

Witten was an 11-time Pro Bowler, two-time first-team All-Pro and twice more was second-team All-Pro.

He started 179 consecutive games and played in 235 consecutive, both the most by a tight end in NFL history.

Now, nearly five years after his playing career ended, Witten is set to coach tight ends at Oklahoma after spending the last five seasons as the head coach at Liberty Christian School in Argyle, Texas.

Witten replaces Joe Jon Finley, who was fired recently after five seasons coaching OU's tight ends.

There are few NFL stars who enter coaching, especially at the collegiate level.

Those that do, in recent years at least, mostly jump in immediately as head coaches.

Deion Sanders started as the head coach at Jackson State before moving to Colroado.

Eddie George started as Tennessee State’s head coach for four seasons before serving as an assistant at Bowling Green this season.

Trent Dilfer, DeSean Jackson and Michael Vick similarly jumped right into head coaching roles.

But some have worked their way up through the ranks.

Witten is plenty familiar with one of them, who he’ll join on the Sooners’ staff.

OU running backs coach DeMarco Murray was a three-time Pro Bowler and the 2014 NFL Offensive Player of the Year.

Murray and Witten were teammates on the Dallas Cowboys from 2011-14.

Murray came to coaching as the running backs coach at Arizona in 2019 after a stint at Fox Sports.

After one season there, he joined Lincoln Riley’s staff at Oklahoma and has remained as the Sooners’ running backs coach since.

Murray has recruited plenty well on paper, including landing Taylor Tatum, ranked by 247Sports, ESPN and Rivals as the top running back in the 2024 class.

But the production on the field hasn’t lived up to some of those recruiting wins.

His most productive back was Eric Gray, who rushed for 1,366 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2022.

Kennedy Brooks is the only other running back with more than 750 yards in a season since Murray came aboard. Brooks rushed for 1,253 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2021 under Murray.

Here’s a look at several other recent college football position coaches who once were NFL stars:

Cris Dishman

NFL career: After being a fifth-round pick out of Purdue, Dishman spent 13 seasons in the NFL with Houston, Washington, Kansas City and Minnesota. He was a first-team All-Pro in 1991 and a second-team All-Pro in 1997, earning Pro Bowl honors both of those seasons. He finished his career with 739 tackles and 43 interceptions.

Coaching career: After a season as an assistant in NFL Europe, Dishman began his college coaching career with three seasons as an assistant at then-NAIA program Menlo College. He’s had stints across several levels of the sport since, including serving as Baylor’s defensive backs coach in 2015-16, and Texas Southern’s head coach the last two seasons. Dishman is 11-11 there over the last two seasons.

Cris Dishman, Texas Southern — Texas Southern Tigers head coach Cris Dishman (center) gestures after a California Golden Bears turnover during the first quarter at California Memorial Stadium. | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Marshall Faulk

NFL career: Faulk ran for 12,279 yards and 100 touchdowns and caught 36 touchdown passes in 20 seasons in the NFL. He was a three-time NFL Offensive Player of the Year, the 2000 NFL Most Valuable Player and a seven-time Pro Bowler. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2011, his first year of eligibility.

Coaching career: Faulk joined Sanders’ staff as Colorado’s running backs coach last year. In late November, he was named the head coach at Southern. The Buffs struggled this season on the ground, with no rushers reaching the 400-yard mark.

Warren Sapp

NFL career: After a standout career at Miami, Sapp went on to be the cornerstone of Tampa Bay’s defense for nearly a decade before finishing his career in Oakland. He had 573 career tackles and 96.5 career sacks. He was the 1999 NFL Defensive Player of the Year, a four-time first-team All-Pro and seven-time Pro Bowler. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2013.

Coaching career: Like Faulk,m Sapp began his coaching career at Colorado under Sanders. After serving as a senior quality control analyst for the Buffs in 2024, Sapp was elevated to be Colorado’s defensive pass rush coordinator last season.

CJ Spiller

NFL career: Spiller spent eight seasons in the NFL with Buffalo, New Orleans, Seattle, the New York Jets and Kansas City. He rushed for 3,451 yards and 12 touchdowns during his career. In 2012, he earned Pro Bowl honors after rushing for 1,244 yards and six touchdowns.

Coaching career: Spiller returned to his alma mater, Clemson, in 2020 where he was graduate intern on Dabo Swinney’s staff that included Brent Venables. In 2021, he was elevated to coach the Tigers’ running backs. Will Shipley and Phil Mafah have each rushed for more than 1,000 yards in a season under Spiller.

CJ Spiller, Clemson — Clemson running backs coach CJ Spiller at the third day of spring practice at the University's football complex in Clemson, SC, Wednesday, March 8, 2023. | ALEX HICKS JR. - USA TODAY / USA TODAY NETWORK

Patrick Surtain Sr.

NFL career: Surtain spent 11 seasons in the NFL as a cornerback for Miami and Kansas CIty. He had 37 career interceptions and 547 tackles. He was a three-time Pro Bowler and twice was first-team All-Pro.

Coaching career: Surtain worked his way up through the high school ranks first, working first as a defensive backs coach, then a defensive coordinator and finally a head coach at American Heritage High in Florida where his son, Patrick Surtain II, starred. After spending 2022 in the NFL as a defensive assistant at Miami, Surtain joined the college ranks where he served as Florida State’s defensive backs coach for the last three seasons before being fired in early December. Surtain recruited at a high level, and had three defensive backs drafted during his tenure, but was ultimately let go as Mike Norvell shook things up after a 5-7 season.

Jason Taylor

NFL career: One of the best linebackers in NFL history, Taylor had 788 tackles, 139.5 sacks and 48 forced fumbles during a 15-year NFL career with Miami, Washington and the New York Jets. He was the 2006 NFL Defensive Player of the Year, a six-time Pro Bowler and three-time first-team All-Pro. In 2017, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Coaching career: After five seasons on the staff at St. Thomas Aquinas — the high school that produced former Sooners star Nik Bonitto, longtime athletic director Joe Castiglione, and OU women’s tennis coach Audra Cohen — Taylor served as a defensive analyst for Miami in 2022 before spending the last three seasons as the Hurricanes’ defensive ends coach. Defensive end Akheem Mesidor has been one of the stars for the Miami defense that lifted the Hurricanes into the College Football Playoff championship game.

Hines Ward

NFL career: Ward spent his entire 14-year NFL career with the Pittsburgh Steelers, helping the organization to two Super Bowl titles and earning four Pro Bowl honors. He had 1,000 catches and 85 receiving touchdowns during his career.

Coaching career: After two stints in the NFL, Ward jumped into college coaching at Florida Atlantic in 2021. After starting as a special assistant to head coach Willie Taggart, Ward was elevated to coach wide receivers late in the season. Ward returned to the college game in 2024 to coach wide receivers at Arizona State. Ward helped lead the Sun Devils to a CFP berth in 2024, when Jordan Tyson led the team in receiving with 1,101 yards and 10 touchdowns on 75 catches.

Hines Ward, Arizona State — Arizona State Sun Devils wide receivers coach Hines Ward against the Brigham Young Cougars at Mountain America Stadium. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

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