OU football officially hires Deland McCullough, LaMar Morgan as assistant coaches
· Yahoo Sports
NORMAN — Oklahoma football coach Brent Venables officially announced two additions to his staff Sunday, hiring Deland McCullough as running backs coach and LaMar Morgan as cornerbacks coach.
McCullough joins the Sooners after spending last season with the Las Vegas Raiders, while Morgan comes to OU following two seasons as defensive backs coach at Michigan.
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“I’m incredibly excited about the addition of two fantastic football coaches, great men, great leaders,” Venables said in a statement. “Our players are going to love learning under them. Both jobs were highly coveted, and we went through exhaustive searches for both positions. Deland and LaMar separated from the pack with their extensive experience, their knowledge and their ability to teach, lead, fit in with our staff and connect on the recruiting trail.”
McCullough replaces DeMarco Murray, who left the Sooners after six seasons to join the Kansas City Chiefs. Widely regarded as one of the top running backs coaches in the game, McCullough brings experience at both the college and NFL levels, with previous stops at Indiana, USC, Notre Dame and with the Chiefs.
McCullough coached Ashton Jeanty with the Raiders and Jeremiyah Love with the Fighting Irish.
“Deland has an impeccable reputation as a leader, a teacher and a motivator,” Venables said. “His experience is exceptional and he had a strong reputation going into the interview process.
“From a development and leadership standpoint, he’s going to have tremendous impact on Day 1.”
Morgan replaces Jay Valai, who departed for the Buffalo Bills after four seasons at OU. Morgan spent the past two years on Michigan’s staff.
“The most impressive thing about LaMar during the interview process was his football acumen,” Venables said. “He’s got extensive experience as a play-caller, and that was among a handful of factors that separated him from the rest of the pack. What also stood out is who he is as a teacher. He’s a great relationship-driven coach and I love his passion, his fire, his energy and the details he coaches with, as well as how he’s able to motivate and get the best out of his guys.
“As a coach, he’s tough and demanding, but the players are going to love his passion and energy he brings to the building every single day.”
The Sooners begin spring practices next month.
Colton Sulley covers the Oklahoma Sooners for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Colton? He can be reached at [email protected] or on X/Twitter at @colton_sulley. Support Colton's work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OU football officially hires Deland McCullough, LaMar Morgan as coaches