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Former Oklahoma running back DeMarco Murray is returning to the Sooners to be OU’s running backs coach.

Oklahoma made the announcement on Monday.

Murray had been the running backs coach at the University of Arizona last season.

Murray is OU’s career leader in all-purpose yards and played seven seasons in the NFL, where he made three Pro Bowls and was the 2014 NFL Offensive Player of the Year with the Dallas Cowboys.

Both OU head coach Lincoln Riley and Murray issued quotes in an OU statement released Monday:

“This is very surreal,” said the 31-year-old Murray on Monday. “Obviously I never thought I’d be back coaching at the place where it all started for me. Having the opportunity to come back and be among great coaches and be with some of the people I grew up with is exciting. I’m thankful for the opportunity Coach Riley is giving me and I’m looking forward to being back home.

“Football has always been a passion of mine. I’ve been fortunate to have had a lot of coaches and friends work with me throughout my career and give me great tools, and I feel like it’s only right to give back to young student-athletes. And I love competing at a high level, so the opportunity to come back to coach was important to me. I think I bring the experience of playing at a high level and being in these kids’ shoes not 20 or 30 years ago, but just 10 years ago. I think I bring the ability to know offense, know ball and know what it takes from a mental, physical and emotional standpoint to get to the next level. At Oklahoma, so many kids are going to have that opportunity and that’s what I’m going to help them strive to achieve.”

“This is a really exciting day, being able to welcome one of our program’s all-time best players back to Norman,” said Riley, who has led OU to three Big 12 titles and three College Football Playoff appearances in his three years as OU head coach. “DeMarco had a tremendous playing career both at OU and in the NFL and has a passion for coaching and helping young men grow as players and people. He’s got an incredibly bright coaching future and will be an outstanding mentor to our players. I don’t think there’s anyone better to lead our running backs. Everyone in our program is excited to have DeMarco, his wife Heidi and their children as part of our family.”