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Report: OC Ben Arbuckle leaving WSU for same job at Oklahoma

Washington State offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle reacts during the second half against the Oregon State Beavers on Nov. 23, 2024, at Reser Stadium in Corvallis, Ore. OSU won the game 41-38. (Tyler Tjomsland/The Spokesman-Review)
Washington State offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle reacts during the second half against the Oregon State Beavers on Nov. 23, 2024, at Reser Stadium in Corvallis, Ore. OSU won the game 41-38. (Tyler Tjomsland/The Spokesman-Review)
By Greg Woods gregw@spokesman.com(509) 459-5587

PULLMAN – In a matter of hours, Washington State lost both its coordinators.

Cougars offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle is leaving for the same job at Oklahoma, a Southeastern Conference school, according to multiple reports. The move comes hours after WSU announced it’s parting ways with defensive coordinator Jeff Schmedding.

Arbuckle coached two seasons at WSU, which finished the regular season No. 12 nationally in scoring offense, putting up 37 points per game. The Cougars averaged 269 passing yards per game, No. 24 nationally, and 172 rushing yards per game, No. 55. Quarterback John Mateer leads the country with 44 total touchdowns, including 29 through the air and 15 on the ground.

Arbuckle, 29, came to WSU by way of Western Kentucky, where he worked two seasons, one as an offensive quality control coach and the second as co-offensive coordinator and QBs coach. At 27, he was the youngest Power Five offensive coordinator in the country when he was hired by WSU in January 2023.

In Arbuckle’s offense this season, senior receiver Kyle Williams cleared the 1,000-yard receiving mark, becoming the first WSU receiver to do so since Brandon Arconado in 2019. Transfer receiver Kris Hutson also piled up 683 yards and two scores on 54 catches.

In recent games, though, Arbuckle and the Cougars’ offense scuffled at times. In WSU’s 15-14 loss to Wyoming last weekend, the Cougs didn’t score in the second half, recording just 57 yards of offense in the second half. Thanks to a late fumble against Oregon State, WSU missed a chance to tie that game up, and the Cougars were prone to third-quarter lulls, especially away from home.

In fact, when Williams scored on a long touchdown reception against Oregon State on Nov. 23, it was WSU’s first third-quarter touchdown away from home since a win over Washington on Sept. 14. It underscores a bit of inconsistency that the Cougs’ offense couldn’t shake this season, particularly in road games.

But Arbuckle and WSU’s offense also racked up 70 points against FCS Portland State, 37 against Texas Tech, 54 in a double-overtime win over San Jose State, 42 against Hawaii and 49 against Utah State.

The Cougs played eight Mountain West schools this season as part of a Pac-12/MWC scheduling agreement that provided WSU and OSU games for this season.