NORMAN — For the third time this offseason, Brent Venables will have to fill a vacancy on his coaching staff.
DeMarco Murray, who has been running backs coach at Oklahoma since 2020, is leaving his alma mater for the NFL, joining the Kansas City Chiefs in the same role while working under head coach Andy Reid and offensive coordinator Eric Bienemy. Murray's departure comes after he declined multiple overtures from other Power Four programs and NFL teams in recent years.
This time around, the pull to the NFL—and a Chiefs franchise that has won three Super Bowls in the last eight years—was too much to turn down. Murray becomes the second Oklahoma assistant to depart for an NFL job this month, following cornerbacks coach Jay Valai's decision to leave Norman after four years for the opportunity to coach defensive backs with the Buffalo Bills.
Along with the departures of Murray and Valai, Venables made a change at tight ends coach this offseason, parting ways with Joe Jon Finley and bringing on NFL legend Jason Witten to take over the position group. Now Venables much replace another offensive assistant before the start of spring practices ahead of what will be a pivotal year for the Sooners' offense—a unit looking to make considerable improvement after an uneven and at-times disappointing first season under offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle.
Whoever is hired to replace Murray will inherit a running back room that returns Xavier Robinson and Tory Blaylock while bringing in Colorado State transfer Lloyd Avant and 2026 signees Jonathan Hatton and DeZephen Walker.
The question now is: Who will Venables and Arbuckle turn to as Murray's replacement for the 2026 season, as OU tries to improve its offense and make a return trip to the College Football Playoff? Sooners Illustrated examines some names to monitor who could make sense as Oklahoma's next running backs coach….