• Darrell Wyatt moves on to the NFL
By John Shinn
Transcript Sports Writer
For the second time in two seasons an NFL team wanted Oklahoma assistant coach Darrell Wyatt to become its receivers coach.
Thursday, he made the move.
Wyatt, who has been OU’s receivers coach since 2002 and was the passing game coordinator this past season, is leaving to join the staff new Minnesota Vikings head coach Brad Childress is putting together.
The Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator this year, Childress was hired last week to replace Mike Tice, who was fired after four seasons.
Wyatt was offered the same position with the Green Bay Packers last season and was former OU assistant Chuck Long’s first choice to become offensive coordinator at San Diego State.
“It’s tough to leave, but I felt this was a great opportunity,” Wyatt said in a statement released through OU. “I get to join a new staff on the front end of a new contract. I look forward to the challenge on the next level.”
OU coach Bob Stoops was supportive of Wyatt’s decision.
“We are all happy for Darrell and his family,” Stoops said in a released statement. “He feels the NFL is the direction he wants to go and we are supportive of him reaching his goals. We are all appreciative of the work he did here in coaching our receivers. He developed a great number of excellent players and ia also a strong recruiter.”
Wyatt’s reputation as a recruiter will be hard to match. He received a lot of the credit for bringing Adrian Peterson to OU in 2004.
He also tutored OU’s all-time leading receiver Mark Clayton, a two-time All-America selection and a first-round pick in 2005 by the Baltimore Ravens. Clayton was one of three OU receivers taken in the first three rounds of the 2005 NFL draft. Mark Bradley went to the Chicago Bears in the second round and Brandon Jones was the Tennessee Titans’ third-round selection.
Wyatt did one of his best coaching jobs after they left. Three true freshmen — Malcolm Kelly, Juaquin Iglesias and Manuel Johnson — were among OU’s top seven receivers this past season.
“I leave with a strong team in place for next season and a team that can make another championship run,” Wyatt said. “I enjoyed the experience at Oklahoma and I can’t tell you how much it has meant to my career.”
Wyatt also said he encouraged all the players he has recruited for this year’s recruiting class to stay with OU.
The Sooners currently have two commitments from wide receivers — Brandon Caleb of Fort Union (Va.) Military Academy and Adron Tennell from Irving (Texas) High School — but there are others Wyatt helped recruit.
Oral commitments are non-binding. Players can’t officially sign a letter of intent until Feb. 1.
Stoops said there were a number of directions he could go in replacing Wyatt, but he doesn’t feel the need to rush to find a replacement.
“I don’t feel any extra urgency,” he said. “The receivers who have committed to us are very strong in their commitments and understand that our offensive scheme will continue to work in the same way. They’re confident in our system and in the strength of the teams we have coming up.”
