The Oklahoma Sooners are set to have another vacancy created on their football coaching staff. According to a report from NFL insider Jordan Schultz, the Kansas City Chiefs are hiring Oklahoma running backs coach DeMarco Murray.
Murray recently interviewed for the position and became a primary target for Kansas City, as reported by Matt Zenitz of 247Sports and CBS Sports. Murray became a top target for the Chiefs, and is now set to join head coach Andy Reid's staff as running backs coach.
Murray, a former running back and position coach, will get to work with Kansas City offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy. Bieniemy, a former running back and backs coach himself, is a primary layer to Murray wanting to take the job. The chance to coach in the NFL, for a franchise like the Kansas City Chiefs and alongside the likes of Reid and Bieniemy is an opportunity Murray couldn't turn down.
Murray leaves his alma mater, Oklahoma, after coaching with the Sooners since 2020.
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Murray starred at Oklahoma from the 2007 through 2010 seasons. He played a pivotal role during the 2008 season in helping OU reach the BCS National Championship Game, which he had to miss due to injury. In his 13 games that year, Murray rushed for 1,002 yards and 14 touchdowns and caught 31 passes for 395 yards and four more scores. His efforts earned him first-team All-Big 12 honors. Murray was also a first-team All-Big 12 pick in 2010 when he rushed for career highs of 1,214 yards and 15 touchdowns and caught 71 passes for 594 yards and five scores.
In addition to Murray's career records at Oklahoma for all-purpose yards (6,718; 3,685 rushing, 1,571 receiving, 1,462 return) and touchdowns scored (65), he is the school's all-time leader in kickoff return average (27.58 yards). Murray ranks second in OU history in rushing attempts (759) and kick return yards (1,462), third in rushing touchdowns (50), seventh in rushing yards and eighth in 100-yard-rushing games (13).
In terms of single-season performances, Murray ranks second (2,171 in 2008) and fifth (2,057 in 2010) on OU's all-purpose-yards chart, and second in kick return yards (774 in 2008). His 196 kick return yards against Oklahoma State in 2008 stand as the second most in single-game school history.
Selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the third round of the 2011 NFL Draft, Murray rushed for 7,174 yards and 49 touchdowns during his professional career, and racked up 2,165 receiving yards and six more scores. In addition to his 2014 NFL Offensive Player of the Year honor, he was named a Pro Bowl selection in 2013, 2014 and 2016 and an All-Pro in 2014.
After a decorated seven-year NFL career with the Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles and Tennessee Titans, plus a one-year stint as a TV analyst in the broadcast booth with FOX Sports, Murray moved into coaching. He got his start at Arizona in 2019 under then head coach Kevin Sumlin, a former OU assistant himself.
After one season with the Wildcats, Murray returned to OU to coach the same position he shined at in Norman. A rare opportunity and honor for the notable alumni. When Riley left Oklahoma to take the head coaching job at USC, Murray was retained by Brent Venables.
Murray leaves his post as running backs coach with more memories in Norman to look back on. Oklahoma looks ahead while trying to find its next leader of the running back room.