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Oklahoma Regents Approve Football Coaching Raises, Contract Extensions

New offensive coordinator Seth Littrell got the major bump, but all other coaches will see larger salaries and longer contracts moving forward.
John E. Hoover|
Oklahoma Regents Approve Football Coaching Raises, Contract Extensions
Oklahoma Regents Approve Football Coaching Raises, Contract Extensions

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Oklahoma Sooners

Oklahoma offensive coordinator Seth Littrell will make $1.1 million in his first year with the Sooners.

That’s according to data released Friday by the OU Board of Regents at their regularly scheduled meeting in Oklahoma City.

Littrell, who replaced Jeff Lebby after spending last season as an offensive analyst for his alma mater, will make a base salary of $285,000 and also gets $815,000 a year for personal services such as promotional appearances, public relations, speaking engagements, endorsements and other activities.

Lebby was paid $1.9 million in his final season with the Sooners before taking the head coaching job at Mississippi State.

Littrell’s new contract runs through January 2027 and was part of contract and compensation updates for Brent Venables’ entire staff.

Tight ends coach Joe Jon Finley’s promotion from tight ends coach to tight ends and co-offensive coordinator comes with an extension through January 2027 and a significant raise — from $520,000 a year in total compensation to $900,000, with an annual $25,000 raise.

Other adjustments on the football coaching staff approved by the regents on Friday (total compensation):

  • RB coach DeMarco Murray: from $500,000 to $575,000 and extended through January 2026.
  • DB coach Brandon Hall: from $350,000 to $500,000 and extended through January 2026.
  • DL coach Todd Bates: from $665,000 to $700,000 and extended through January 2027.
  • OL coach Bill Bedenbaugh: from $820,000 to $870,000 and extended through January 2026.
  • DE coach Miguel Chavis: from $600,000 to $650,000 and extended through January 2026.
  • CB coach Jay Valai: from $700,000 to $750,000 and extended through January 2026.
  • WR coach Emmett Jones: from $550,000 to $664,000 and extended through January 2026.
  • Strength and conditioning coach Jerry Schmidt: from $650,000 to $700,000 and extended through January 2026.

The new contracts do not include that of new defensive coordinator Zac Alley, whose hasn't been formally announced yet by the university.

New track coach James Thomas’ contract was also approved through June 2029 at $216,000 base salary plus a $10,000 annual raise, plus $29,000 a year in outside incoming for personal services. 

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John E. Hoover
JOHN E. HOOVER

John is an award-winning journalist whose work spans five decades in Oklahoma, with multiple state, regional and national awards as a sportswriter at various newspapers. During his newspaper career, John covered the Dallas Cowboys, the Kansas City Chiefs, the Oklahoma Sooners, the Oklahoma State Cowboys, the Arkansas Razorbacks and much more. In 2016, John changed careers, migrating into radio and launching a YouTube channel, and has built a successful independent media company, DanCam Media. From there, John has written under the banners of Sporting News, Sports Illustrated, Fan Nation and a handful of local and national magazines while hosting daily sports talk radio shows in Oklahoma City, Tulsa and statewide. John has also spoken on Capitol Hill in Oklahoma City in a successful effort to put more certified athletic trainers in Oklahoma public high schools. Among the dozens of awards he has won, John most cherishes his national "Beat Writer of the Year" from the Associated Press Sports Editors, Oklahoma's "Best Sports Column" from the Society of Professional Journalists, and Two "Excellence in Sports Medicine Reporting" Awards from the National Athletic Trainers Association. John holds a bachelor's degree in Mass Communications from East Central University in Ada, OK. Born and raised in North Pole, Alaska, John played football and wrote for the school paper at Ada High School in Ada, OK. He enjoys books, movies and travel, and lives in Broken Arrow, OK, with his wife and two kids.

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