Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables said he's "incredibly disappointed" in the circumstances that led to a one-game suspension for running backs coach DeMarco Murray.
The NCAA announced Tuesday that Murray has been suspended for a recruiting violation, according to an agreement released by the Division I Committee on Refractions. Murray contacted recruits and their families prior to the permissible time period despite being properly educated on the applicable rules by the university, according to the announcement.
In his first public statement since the announcement, Venables said Murray has accepted responsibility for the infractions.
"It’s affirmation for — despite all the education that you do, the constant monitoring and reinforcement of, ‘Hey man, just follow the rules; these are what they are,’ people can still make the mistakes," Venables said during the weekly SEC coaches teleconference. "There’s no doubt that I’m incredibly disappointed in what took place. I do know our staff works to be mindful of the rules, and we have parameters — very clear, strong parameters that are in place.
"Unfortunately, and completely unintentionally, that wasn’t the case here. DeMarco knows all of that. He’s accepted responsibility. Like I said, I know who he is, but you got to continue to — things will still happen despite our strong measures in place to try to protect you.”
In addition to the one-game suspension, the NCAA is also prohibiting unofficial visits during the Sooners' season opener against Temple (6 p.m. Friday). The NCAA also imposed a three-week ban on recruiting phone and electronic correspondence from Dec. 8 to March 31, 2025.
Venables didn't say whether Murray will serve his suspension during Friday's opener against Temple. As far as who will handle Murray's gameday responsibilities, Venables said the entire offensive staff will pick up the slack.
“I won’t really comment on whether or not this is the week or not, but in situations like these, despite the nuances and the particulars, we have to take responsibility and move on," Venables said. "That’s exactly what we’re doing.”
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