Report: Oklahoma State Quarterbacks Coach Kevin Johns Taking Over Play-Calling Duties

There’s some more shuffling happening along the Cowboys’ coaching staff.

Oklahoma State quarterbacks coach Kevin Johns is taking over play-calling duties, according to O State Illustrated. This comes after offensive coordinator Doug Meacham took over as the Cowboys’ interim coach when Mike Gundy was fired.

Meacham hinted at the move on Monday with Dave Hunziker on the coach’s show.

“I’ve kinda, here just recently, kinda passed along some of the duties of the offense,” Meacham told Hunziker. “I’ve kinda delegated some of it. For me, it’s not really the physical work of doing both. It’s the mental part, like dealing with players and all the questions and the things that are going on these days. I think it kinda detracts a little bit from my focus on it, so I’ve kinda delegated some of it out.”

This’ll be far from Johns’ first time calling plays. He’s been an OC or a co-OC at Indiana (2011-16), Western Michigan (2017), Texas Tech (2019), Memphis (2019-21), Duke (2022-23) and Oklahoma (2024).

In the year before Johns got to Duke, the Blue Devils were last in the ACC in scoring offense. Johns took Duke to fifth in the conference in that category in his first season.

Johns’ 2019 Memphis offense ranked in the top 20 nationally in passing yards, scoring offense, passing yards/completion, total offense, first downs, passing efficiency, passing offense, passing touchdowns and third-down percentage.

Johns’ 2020 Memphis offense finished 22nd nationally in total offense (453.1 yards a game).

His 2018 Texas Tech offense ranked fourth nationally with 352.6 passing yards a game and 12th in total offense with 485.2 yards a game.

Johns’ Western Michigan offense ranked 25th nationally in scoring (36.5 points per game) and 21st in rushing yards per game, averaging 224.8.

The Cowboys rank 126th nationally in total offense (averaging 300.7 yards a game) and 128th in scoring offense (averaging 16.5 points a game).

This marks the second time coordinating duties have changed hands in Stillwater this season. The program parted ways with defensive coordinator Todd Grantham after the Baylor game. Clint Bowen has filled that role.