In a surprising twist, Oklahoma has once again made an unexpected coaching hire. After losing running backs coach DeMarco Murray to the Kansas City Chiefs, Sooners head coach Brent Venables turned to the NFL, bringing in former Las Vegas Raiders running backs coach Deland McCullough to fill the role.
McCullough, who spent last season with the Raiders, helped rookie Ashton Jeanty rack up 975 rushing yards and five touchdowns. Jeanty also showed versatility with 55 receptions for 346 yards and five more scores, a significant leap from his college days at Boise State.
Before his stint with the Raiders, McCullough was at Notre Dame, where he served as running backs coach and associate head coach. His tenure included coaching the 2025 Doak Walker Award winner Jeremiyah Love and guiding the team to the College Football Playoff National Championship Game.
McCullough's coaching resume also includes stops at Indiana, the Kansas City Chiefs, and USC, where he developed talents like Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Kareem Hunt, and Tevin Coleman. Impressively, he's produced a 1,000-yard rusher 16 times, a feat the Sooners haven't achieved since 2022.
A notable highlight from McCullough's career was at Indiana in 2014, where Tevin Coleman rushed for over 2,000 yards under the guidance of then-head coach Kevin Wilson, now an OU offensive analyst. This previous connection helped pave the way for McCullough's move to Norman.
Despite the coaching shuffle in Las Vegas, McCullough was a strong candidate for the Chiefs' running backs coach position before they chose Murray, opening the door for his new role with the Sooners.
This offseason, Venables has seen two of his position coaches head to the NFL. Neither of their replacements were initially on anyone's radar, adding to the element of surprise.
Venables also brought in NFL legend Jason Witten as the new tight ends coach, a move that seemed unlikely but has become a reality. The appointment of new OU athletic director Roger Denny has also caught fans off guard, marking a period of unexpected but intriguing changes for the Sooners.