Former NFL leading rusher DeMarco Murray has agreed to become Arizona’s new running backs coach, according to the Arizona Daily Star. Murray joins head coach Kevin Sumlin’s coaching staff after Clarence McKinney left UA to take over the head coaching position at Texas Southern early last month.

The hire comes after weeks of speculation and rumors around campus, with NFL analyst Adam Schefter tweeting about it Dec. 19. 

Sumlin’s connection with Murray runs deep. He recruited Murray to Oklahoma, the school Murray eventually attended, during Sumlin’s stint in Norman.

Arizona’s deepest position gets a well-known name leading the group, as All-American J.J. Taylor returns for his junior season. Not only does this hire impact Arizona on the field next season, the hire will also hopefully pay dividends in recruiting classes to come. 

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In Murray, the Wildcats get a former NFL running back who won the rushing title this decade. Having a household name in recruits’ living rooms for the foreseeable future is something that could give an ambitious program like Arizona a semblance of legitimacy and might be what could gets the ball rolling in Sumlin’s era in Tucson.

With the upcoming 2020 recruiting class, the state of Arizona has a loaded prep class, and the man headlining those talented players is Salpointe Catholic’s Bijan Robinson. The No. 6 running back in the country is wrapping up his storied career just up Mountain Avenue, and there is no doubt that this hire will get his attention. 

Even if Robinson doesn’t decide to come to Arizona, the impact Murray will have on the state of Texas could be astronomical. The former Dallas Cowboys star started his career in the Lone Star State and is well known and respected there. 

With the Wildcats already hauling in eight recruits from Texas in the 2019 class, the new hire of Murray could see Arizona going back to that well more often.

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