One of Oklahoma’s own has officially made his way home.
Moments ago, the Sooners officially announced the hire of DeMarco Murray as the next running backs coach at Oklahoma.
𝙒𝙚𝙡𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙝𝙤𝙢𝙚!@DeMarcoMurray, OU's career leader in all-purpose yards and TDs, hired as running backs coach.https://t.co/rpB8h3flxC | #OUDNA pic.twitter.com/m6pFFXLiJr
— Oklahoma Football (@OU_Football) January 27, 2020
“This is a really exciting day, being able to welcome one of our program’s all-time best players back to Norman,” said Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley in a press release from Oklahoma football. “DeMarco had a tremendous playing career both at OU and in the NFL and has a passion for coaching and helping young men grow as players and people. He’s got an incredibly bright coaching future and will be an outstanding mentor to our players. I don’t think there’s anyone better to lead our running backs. Everyone in our program is excited to have DeMarco, his wife Heidi and their children as part of our family.”
Murray has spent the last year in his first coaching position as the running backs coach at Arizona under former Oklahoma assistant Kevin Sumlin.
“Coach Sumlin gave me that first chance to coach and I appreciate everything he’s done for me,” Murray said in the press release. “I’ve known him dating back to when I was 18 or 19 years old at OU. He’s always been a great friend of mine and we stayed in constant communication after he left OU and throughout our careers. He’s a great guy who always creates a fun environment for his staff and players. I appreciate him taking a chance on me and I learned a lot from him last year.”
Oklahoma’s running back position opened up after Jay Boulware left to go to Texas just ten days ago. According to a report from 247Sports’ Arizona affiliate Wildcat Authority, Murray was Riley’s first option as the new running backs coach.
The former Sooners’ star played at Oklahoma under current inside wide receivers coach Cale Gundy from 2007-10. A Las Vegas, Nevada, native, Murray was a major piece to the Sooners’ 2008 team that went to the national championship game and the 2010 team that won the Big 12 Championship and Fiesta Bowl. He accounted for 5,256 yards from scrimmage in his Oklahoma career and 63 touchdowns.
Murray was then drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the third round of the 2011 NFL Draft. He was named the AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year in 2014 after rushing for 1,845 yards and 13 touchdowns.
“This is very surreal,” Murray said in the press release. “Obviously I never thought I’d be back coaching at the place where it all started for me. Having the opportunity to come back and be among great coaches and be with some of the people I grew up with is exciting. I’m thankful for the opportunity Coach Riley is giving me and I’m looking forward to being back home.
“Football has always been a passion of mine. I’ve been fortunate to have had a lot of coaches and friends work with me throughout my career and give me great tools, and I feel like it’s only right to give back to young student-athletes. And I love competing at a high level, so the opportunity to come back to coach was important to me.
“I think I bring the experience of playing at a high level and being in these kids’ shoes not 20 or 30 years ago, but just 10 years ago. I think I bring the ability to know offense, know ball and know what it takes from a mental, physical and emotional standpoint to get to the next level. At Oklahoma, so many kids are going to have that opportunity and that’s what I’m going to help them strive to achieve.”
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