Completed Event: Football versus Illinois State on August 30, 2025 , Win , 35, to, 3
Final
Football
35
vs Illinois State
3
University of Oklahoma Athletics
Football
Murray, DeMarco
DeMarco Murray
- Title:
- Running Backs Coach
Coaching Notes and Accomplishments
• Oklahoma’s career leader in all-purpose yards and touchdowns, and the 2014 NFL Offensive Player of the Year, returned to his alma mater as running backs coach on Jan. 27, 2020, and is in his fifth year in the role.
• Coached a 2023 running backs group that helped OU lead the Big 12 with its 41.7 points (ranked fourth nationally) and 507.0 total yards (third) per contest. Sophomore Gavin Sawchuk rushed for over 100 yards in each of the season's last five games.
• His 2022 running backs helped OU average a Big 12-leading 219.4 rushing yards per game (ranked 10th nationally). Senior Eric Gray was a second-team All-Big 12 pick and fifth-round NFL Draft selection after rushing for 1,366 yards (ninth most in school history) and 11 TDs. He led the Big 12 and ranked 14th in the country with his 6.4 yards per carry.
• In his first two seasons at OU, his running backs averaged 5.7 yards per carry and scored 18 rushing TDs in 11 games in 2020 and averaged 5.4 yards per carry and scored 19 rushing TDs in 13 games in 2021. In a 55-20 Cotton Bowl win over Florida to cap 2020, OU's backs ran for 381 yards and averaged an eye-popping 12.7 yards per rush. In a 47-32 Alamo Bowl victory over Oregon in 2021, the backs rushed for 278 yards (8.7 per carry).
• Redshirt junior running back Kennedy Brooks rushed for 1,253 yards (96.4 per game) and 13 touchdowns in 2021, and was named Alamo Bowl Most Outstanding Offensive Player after running for 142 yards and three touchdowns.
• Senior running back Rhamondre Stevenson rushed for 665 yards and seven touchdowns in his six games in 2020 (110.8 yards per contest) and caught 18 passes for 211 yards (11.7 average). He was the Cotton Bowl offensive MVP after rushing for 186 yards (10.3 average) and a TD and was selected in the fourth round of the NFL Draft by the New England Patriots.
• Spent the 2019 season — his first as a coach — at Arizona where he presided over the running backs. Redshirt junior running back J.J. Taylor earned 2019 honorable mention All-Pac-12 honors after rushing for a team-high 721 yards and five TDs, and registering 289 receiving yards. Junior running back Gary Brightwell added 390 yards on the ground (5.9 per rush).
• Served the 2018 season as a college football analyst for FOX Sports, calling games with Justin Kutcher and Petros Papadakis.
As a Player
• Starred at Oklahoma from the 2007 through 2010 seasons when the Sooners won 43 games, three Big 12 championships and a pair of bowl games under former head coach Bob Stoops.
• Played a pivotal role in 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 season he rushed for 1,002 yards and 14 touchdowns and caught 31 passes for 395 yards and four more scores en route to first-team All-Big 12 honors.
• Was also a first-team All-Big 12 pick in 2010 when he rushed for career highs of 1,214 yards and 15 TDs and caught 71 passes for 594 yards and five scores.
• In addition to his OU career records 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 (27.6 yards) and ranks second 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).
• Enjoyed a decorated seven-year NFL career with the Dallas Cowboys (2011-14), Philadelphia Eagles (2015) and Tennessee Titans (2016-17).
• Rushed for 7,174 yards and 49 touchdowns during his professional career, while racking 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.
• Selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the third round of the 2011 NFL Draft and promptly ran for 897 yards and a pair of touchdowns in his rookie season. Followed with 663 rushing yards and four TDs in 2012 and broke out in 2013 by running for 1,121 yards and nine scores in his 14 games, all starts.
• His most productive pro season came in 2014 when he rushed for league highs of 1,845 yards (115.3 per game) and 13 TDs, while adding 416 receiving yards. His 2,261 scrimmage yards were the 12th most in NFL single-season history at the time.
• Finished with 702 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns with Philadelphia in 2015 before heading to Tennessee for his final two seasons where he started all 31 of his contests. He eclipsed the 1,000-yard rushing mark (1,287) for a third time and ran for nine TDs in 2016. In his final campaign he amassed 659 rushing yards and six more rushing scores.
• Rated by ESPN as the No. 1 running back in the country coming out of Las Vegas’ Bishop Gorman High School in 2006.
• Oklahoma’s career leader in all-purpose yards and touchdowns, and the 2014 NFL Offensive Player of the Year, returned to his alma mater as running backs coach on Jan. 27, 2020, and is in his fifth year in the role.
• Coached a 2023 running backs group that helped OU lead the Big 12 with its 41.7 points (ranked fourth nationally) and 507.0 total yards (third) per contest. Sophomore Gavin Sawchuk rushed for over 100 yards in each of the season's last five games.
• His 2022 running backs helped OU average a Big 12-leading 219.4 rushing yards per game (ranked 10th nationally). Senior Eric Gray was a second-team All-Big 12 pick and fifth-round NFL Draft selection after rushing for 1,366 yards (ninth most in school history) and 11 TDs. He led the Big 12 and ranked 14th in the country with his 6.4 yards per carry.
• In his first two seasons at OU, his running backs averaged 5.7 yards per carry and scored 18 rushing TDs in 11 games in 2020 and averaged 5.4 yards per carry and scored 19 rushing TDs in 13 games in 2021. In a 55-20 Cotton Bowl win over Florida to cap 2020, OU's backs ran for 381 yards and averaged an eye-popping 12.7 yards per rush. In a 47-32 Alamo Bowl victory over Oregon in 2021, the backs rushed for 278 yards (8.7 per carry).
• Redshirt junior running back Kennedy Brooks rushed for 1,253 yards (96.4 per game) and 13 touchdowns in 2021, and was named Alamo Bowl Most Outstanding Offensive Player after running for 142 yards and three touchdowns.
• Senior running back Rhamondre Stevenson rushed for 665 yards and seven touchdowns in his six games in 2020 (110.8 yards per contest) and caught 18 passes for 211 yards (11.7 average). He was the Cotton Bowl offensive MVP after rushing for 186 yards (10.3 average) and a TD and was selected in the fourth round of the NFL Draft by the New England Patriots.
• Spent the 2019 season — his first as a coach — at Arizona where he presided over the running backs. Redshirt junior running back J.J. Taylor earned 2019 honorable mention All-Pac-12 honors after rushing for a team-high 721 yards and five TDs, and registering 289 receiving yards. Junior running back Gary Brightwell added 390 yards on the ground (5.9 per rush).
• Served the 2018 season as a college football analyst for FOX Sports, calling games with Justin Kutcher and Petros Papadakis.
As a Player
• Starred at Oklahoma from the 2007 through 2010 seasons when the Sooners won 43 games, three Big 12 championships and a pair of bowl games under former head coach Bob Stoops.
• Played a pivotal role in 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 season he rushed for 1,002 yards and 14 touchdowns and caught 31 passes for 395 yards and four more scores en route to first-team All-Big 12 honors.
• Was also a first-team All-Big 12 pick in 2010 when he rushed for career highs of 1,214 yards and 15 TDs and caught 71 passes for 594 yards and five scores.
• In addition to his OU career records 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 (27.6 yards) and ranks second 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).
• Enjoyed a decorated seven-year NFL career with the Dallas Cowboys (2011-14), Philadelphia Eagles (2015) and Tennessee Titans (2016-17).
• Rushed for 7,174 yards and 49 touchdowns during his professional career, while racking 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.
• Selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the third round of the 2011 NFL Draft and promptly ran for 897 yards and a pair of touchdowns in his rookie season. Followed with 663 rushing yards and four TDs in 2012 and broke out in 2013 by running for 1,121 yards and nine scores in his 14 games, all starts.
• His most productive pro season came in 2014 when he rushed for league highs of 1,845 yards (115.3 per game) and 13 TDs, while adding 416 receiving yards. His 2,261 scrimmage yards were the 12th most in NFL single-season history at the time.
• Finished with 702 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns with Philadelphia in 2015 before heading to Tennessee for his final two seasons where he started all 31 of his contests. He eclipsed the 1,000-yard rushing mark (1,287) for a third time and ran for nine TDs in 2016. In his final campaign he amassed 659 rushing yards and six more rushing scores.
• Rated by ESPN as the No. 1 running back in the country coming out of Las Vegas’ Bishop Gorman High School in 2006.
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