Who is DeMarco Murray? All we know about Oklahoma star who will be facing one game suspension in 2024

The Oklahoma Sooners running backs coach DeMarco Murray has been with the team since 2020. On Tuesday, it was revealed that he would be handed a one-game suspension by the NCAA for his role in recruitment violations.

As a player from 2007-10, Murray starred for the Sooners, leading the team to three Big 12 championships. He rushed for 3,685 yards, resulting in 65 touchdowns and leads the Sooners' all-time rankings in kickoff return average with 27.6 yards. He became only the fifth player to score 60-plus touchdowns in the Big 12 and is also a four-time Academic Big 12 honoree.

He also graduated from Oklahoma with a degree in communications and a double minor in business and African American studies.

DeMarco Murray was picked No. 71 overall in the third round of the 2011 NFL draft by the Dallas Cowboys. He played for seven NFL seasons for Dallas, the Philadelphia Eagles and Tennessee Titans.

He was a three-time Pro Bowl selection, a first-team All-Pro and was the 2014 Offensive Player of the Year after registering the most rushing yards and touchdowns in the league.

Murray joined Oklahoma as the team's running backs coach in 2020 after starting his coaching career in 2019 with the Arizona Wildcats in the same role. Murray earns $575,000 annually for his position.

In March, Murray was linked to the Ohio State Buckeyes running backs coach position after Tony Alford left; however, Murray opted to remain in Norman with the Sooners despite the allure of a job at OSU.

According to On3, DeMarco Murray received a new three-year contract from Oklahoma.

DeMarco Murray banned for recruitment violations

DeMarco Murray has been banned for one game for extensive recruitment violations that occurred over a span of one-and-a-half years. He made illegal contact with 17 student athletes that included 65 phone calls and 36 text messages. During the investigation, Murray claimed that he did not know that the waiver during the COVID-19 pandemic had expired.

The investigation into the Oklahoma Sooners also included track and field coach Tim Langford, who diverted scholarship funds from a female athlete to two male student-athletes.

Murray will miss the Oklahoma Sooners' season opener against the Temple Owls as the Sooners kick off the journey in the Southeastern Conference in a few weeks. Since the violations were classified as Level II by the NCAA, the program will be fined $5,000 and will have recruiting restrictions in addition to a one year probation.

According to an ESPN story, Oklahoma has not said which game Murray will be suspended for.