What is DeMarco Murray Bringing as the Chiefs' New Running Backs Coach?

The Kansas City Chiefs completely overhauled their running back position this offseason, both on the roster and on the coaching staff.

The Chiefs' biggest splash of free agency came when they signed Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III to lead the way as the team's new primary back. Next, KC added Emari Demercado in free agency before selecting Nebraska running back Emmett Johnson in the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft.

Even before the team churned the depth chart, Kansas City made a pair of sizable coaching staff changes. Eric Bieniemy returned as the team's offensive coordinator, and former NFL running back DeMarco Murray left the Oklahoma Sooners to become the Chiefs' new running backs coach.

Murray had been coaching running backs at his alma mater since 2020, so why did he choose to make his jump to the NFL now? When speaking to the media after organized team activities, Murray said he loved his time at Oklahoma, but that Chiefs head coach Andy Reid made the opportunity too good to turn down.

"He [Reid] didn't have to sell a lot," Murray said. "Just knowing his resume, he's a guy that I've studied for a long time, obviously as a player and then as a coach the last seven years. Knowing this offense, and they've been a dominant offense for numerous years, when a guy like Andy Reid calls you, it doesn't take a lot to jump on board. Him knowing how much Oklahoma means to me, it was a hard decision; it wasn't easy by any means with family and a lot of close relationships, and again, I would not be here without so many people at Oklahoma. I love that place, but they prepared me for this stage of my career, and I felt like it was the right time. Knowing him, Coach Bieniemy, and knowing their background and the offensive philosophy that I've been paying attention to closely as a player and as a coach the last couple of years, it's been great."

As a player, Murray racked up more than 5,200 yards from scrimmage during his four years at Oklahoma (2007-10) before being drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the third round of the 2011 NFL Draft.

As a pro, Murray became a three-time Pro Bowler, highlighted by his 2014 season in Dallas where his 2,261 yards from scrimmage and 13 touchdowns earned him the AP Offensive Player of the Year award and an All-Pro selection.

How does Murray's experience as a player inform his work as a coach now?

"I think it always helps when you’ve played the position," Murray said. "You have a little clout from that standpoint, but at the end of the day, they want to know that you know what you're talking about, day in and day out, and then you've got to push them to be the best. These guys have been straining; they all come from different backgrounds and things of that nature, so the first couple of weeks were just getting to know them, implementing the offense, implementing the coaching philosophy, but most importantly, these guys have come in every single day with a great attitude and the right mindset."

With that aforementioned coaching philosophy in mind, what is Murray hoping to instill in his new running back room?

"I think the first thing is communication," Murray said. "You want to have great communication with those guys, and then you build from trust. I want to show these guys what communication is and making sure that we’re all on the same page and understanding what it takes to be a successful running back in this league, and especially in this offense.

"It starts with ball security and protecting the quarterback and then doing some great things with the ball in your hands. A lot of those guys can do that, but again, for us, we want to protect the quarterback and be extremely detailed in how we do things. I always talk to our guys about being the best players on the field, and that starts with stretching, the walkthrough, and just knowing your job, inside and out, then knowing the 'why's' behind the offense and why we're calling certain plays."

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