Oklahoma running backs coach DeMarco Murray will miss Friday's game against Temple due to suspension.
The former NFL star RB is being disciplined by the NCAA for recruiting violations. Oklahoma also served self-induced recruiting restrictions last season and face "a three-week ban on phone and electronic correspondence" at the conclusion of the 2024 regular season.
What did Murray do to get suspended for Week 1? The Sporting News takes a closer look below.
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DeMarco Murray suspension, explained
Oklahoma RB coach Murray will be suspended for one game, missing the Sooners' 2024 season-opener at home against Temple on Friday.
The NCAA announced its decision to suspend Murray on Tuesday, stating, "Murray impermissibly contacted 17 prospects over 16 months, including 65 impermissible phone calls and 36 impermissible text messages.”
The release added, “Murray indicated that he was not aware that a COVID-19 waiver of recruiting contact rules had expired" and "the enforcement staff determined that the school had properly educated football coaches on the applicable recruiting rules and the timing of changes to them.”
During the investigation, Oklahoma served a handful of self-imposed recruiting limitations in an attempt to reduce the overall penalty. Those limitations included a reduction in recruiting days, a prohibition on football staff calling prospects during a certain time period and restrictions on Murray's recruiting days and off-campus recruiting time.
In addition to those self-imposed penalties, the NCAA is also enforcing a ban on unofficial visits during Oklahoma's game against Tempe and a "three-week ban on recruiting phone and electronic correspondence" at the end of the 2024 season.
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DeMarco Murray coaching history
Murray has been a running backs coach at Oklahoma — his Alma Mater — since 2020.
He played his final NFL snap during the 2017 season and joined the Arizona Cardinals' staff as a running backs coach in 2019. After one season coaching in the NFL, he was picked up by former Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley to work for the Sooners.
Even when Riley left to take the USC job following the 2022 season, Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables elected to keep the former star running back on the staff.
DeMarco Murray Oklahoma stats
Murray played four impactful seasons at Oklahoma from 2007-10. He rushed for 3,685 yards and 50 touchdowns, while also adding 1,571 receiving yards and 13 receiving touchdowns.
DeMarco Murray NFL stats
Murray was selected by the Cowboys in the third round (pick No. 71) of the 2011 NFL Draft.
He was an even better pro running back, earning one First-Team All-Pro nod, three Pro Bowls and 2014 AP Offensive Player of the Year.
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He rushed for 7,174 yards and 49 touchdowns to go with 2,165 receiving yards and six receiving touchdowns over seven seasons.
Murray led the NFL in carries (392), touches (449), rushing yards (1,845) and yards from scrimmage (2,261) in 2014 when he won AP Offensive Player of the Year.
