Former Dallas Cowboys star Jason Witten will take over as interim offensive coordinator and playcaller at Oklahoma, reports say. 

Witten will step in for Ben Arbuckle, who reportedly was let go on Monday.

Witten, in his first season as Oklahoma's tight ends coach, played that position for 17 years in the NFL, including 16 with the Cowboys. The 11-time Pro Bowler ranks fourth all-time in league history with 1,228 receptions. He gained 13,046 yards receiving and scored 74 touchdowns.

Witten has not been a coordinator at the college level. He led Liberty Christian School in Argyle, Texas to a pair of state titles in five years before joining the Oklahoma staff. 

His first college opportunity will come Saturday at Florida.

Witten said earlier in the season that as a high school coach, he learned to connect with athletes who have not yet reached the pro level.

"The greatest teaching tool for me was coaching high school because it really taught me, coming from the NFL, that they don't learn like I do," he said. "I learned they don't have the same expectation. So how do I impact, how do I reach them, how do I get that?"

Witten got his opportunity because Arbuckle struggled in his second season as offensive coordinator for the Sooners after holding the same position at Washington State.

Oklahoma scored just 10 points in a loss at Michigan, which angered the fans. The Sooners then scored just 14 points in a tight win over New Mexico, which didn't make things any better. 

The Sooners shocked then-No. 1 Texas 27-24, temporarily relieving pressure. But the Sooners followed that by losing 21-13 at home against Kentucky, barely squeaking by a Mississippi State team that was missing its starting quarterback and then losing soundly at home to South Carolina.

MORE: Changes could be coming at Oklahoma after loss to South Carolina 

Witten's tight ends have been a bright spot for the Sooners. Rocky Beers is second on the team with 34 catches for 446 yards and leads the team with four touchdown catches. Hayden Hansen has seven catches for 84 yards and a score.

Among the first orders of business, Witten will need to decide whether he will keep John Mateer as his starting quarterback. Mateer came with Arbuckle from Washington State, and he has been inconsistent. The backups are Whitt Newbauer and Bowe Bentley.

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