Sudden coaching departure sets stage for intriguing Oklahoma Sooners coaching search to right the ship in struggling position room
The search for DeMarco Murray’s replacement with the Sooners is already underway.
The Oklahoma Sooners made waves on Wednesday, when they replaced one coach bound for the NFL that morning. By Wednesday evening, another hole opened up with another coach departing for the NFL in running backs coach DeMarco Murray. Murray will be joining the Kansas City Chiefs.
The search for his replacement in Norman is already underway, and I don’t anticipate it will take long for the Sooners to find his replacement.
DeMarco Murray replacements for Oklahoma Sooners
Tashard Choice, Detroit Lions
Perhaps the early fan-favorite, the former Sooner has been an outstanding coach at both the NFL and collegiate levels, most notably guiding the Texas Longhorns backs from 2o22 to 2024. Choice has developed NFL-caliber backs at every location, recruiting and coaching players like Jeff Wilson, Jahmyr Gibbs, Jordan Mason, Bijan Robinson, Roschon Johnson, Jaydon Blue, Jonathon Brooks, and Keilan Robinson.
Choice played at Oklahoma under Bob Stoops and Brent Venables, and his cousin, Adam, played under Venables at Clemson. Will he want to pull a reversal of recent trends and go from the NFL back to college football?
Josh Crawford, Georgia Bulldogs
After a decade as one of the best high school coaches in Georgia, Crawford made the leap into the collegiate ranks with the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers under Tyson Helton, where he coached alongside current Oklahoma Sooners offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle, working with the wide receivers and was promoted to co-offensive coordinator in 2022. He spent 2023 coaching wide receivers at Georgia Tech before leaping to the SEC with the Bulldogs in 2024.
Crawford has coached one of college football’s best rushing attacks over the last two seasons, guiding Trevor Etienne, Nate Frazier, Cash Jones, and Chauncey Bowens to productive seasons. Will he want to make a lateral leap in the SEC?
DeShaun Foster, UCLA Bruins
Foster’s name has popped up as an early link to monitor to join Oklahoma’s staff in some capacity this season, but the DeMarco Murray departure might just open the door for him to have a formal, on-field role. Foster has spent time underneath offensive minds like Chip Kelly and Kliff Kingsbury, and has developed a solid stable of productive backs with the Bruins in Joshua Kelley, Demetric Felton, and Zach Charbonnet.
Khenon Hall, Baylor Bears
A dynamic recruiter throughout the state of Texas, Hall has a strong resume of on-field development to go along with his success off the field. His first success at running back was guiding James Robinson to multiple All-American nominations at Illinois State from 2018-20. He spent a year at Texas Southern in 2021 before making the leap up to SMU in 2022. The Mustangs featured several rushers Oklahoma fans will recognize under Hall in Jaylan Knighten, LJ Johnson Jr., and Camar Wheaton, which Hall guided in one of the best rushing attacks in the country.
In 2024 and 2025, Hall has guided a pair of dynamic rushers in Dawson Pendergrass and Bryson Washington to strong seasons. In 2024, Baylor’s underclassmen running back duo was one of just two P4 schools to have a 1,000 yard and a 600-yard rusher in the regular season, joining Miami.
Tommie Robinson, UTSA Roadrunners
A veteran coach, Robinson has been a coach at both the collegiate and NFL levels for nearly four decades. Rather than give you a breakdown of his entire career, I’ll just provide you with the laundry list of talents he’s coached throughout his career:
- LaDainian Tomlinson
- Michael Irvin
- Tatum Bell
- Kerry Watkins
- Joseph Doss
- Lamar Miller
- Beanie Wells
- Javorius “Buck” Allen
- Tre Madden
- Malcolm Brown
- Johnathan Gray
- D’Onta Foreman
- Ronald Jones II
- Derrius Guice
- Nick Brossette
- Clyde Edwards-Helaire
- Darrel Williams
- Devon Achane
- Isaiah Spiller
- Robert Henry Jr.
Do I need to say anything more?
Other names to monitor
- Mark Atuaia, Utah Utes
- Chris Barclay, Louisville Cardinals
- Curtis Luper, Missouri Tigers
- Norval McKenzie, Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
- Kolby Smith, Kentucky Wildcats
- Tyler Tettleton, Jacksonville Jaguars
Oklahoma Sooners News
Oklahoma Sooners, Brent Venables turn to familiar foe to hire intriguing coach with plenty of upside to replace NFL-bound coach
The Sooners have filled their final opening on staff with a hire from left field.
