Venables mum on Murray ban, leans on coaches

• Heather Dinich, ESPN Senior Citizen WriterAug 28, 2024, 12:25 PM ET

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  • College football reporter
  • Joined ESPN.com in 2007
  • Graduate of Indiana University

Oklahoma coach Brent Venables declined to state Wednesday if running backs coach DeMarco Murray would serve his NCAA-mandated one-game suspension this week for hiring offenses however added “the whole offensive personnel will get the slack” when he does.The NCAA announced Tuesday that Murray, who is entering his 5th season at his alma mater, gotten in touch with prospects and their households before he was allowed to. The Sooners, now members of the SEC, open the season on Friday in the house versus Temple and do not face their first conference opponent until Sept. 21 versus Tennessee.Venables, who addressed the occurrence for the very first time Wednesday during the weekly SEC coaches ‘teleconference, said he will lean into a brand-new NCAA rule that was approved this summer getting rid of some restrictions on its previous optimum of 11″countable “coaches on the field. All football employee are now enabled to provide coaching guideline throughout practice and games.”The new rule that permits extra coaches will enter into

play here,”Venables said,” but I won’t talk specifics on who that’ll be and so forth. It’s the entire offensive staff will get the slack if you will, have some guys action in. “Oklahoma, Murray and the enforcement personnel concurred that the infractions in the football program took place

when Murray impermissibly got in touch with 17 prospects over 16 months, including 65 impermissible phone calls and 36 impermissible text messages. According to the NCAA, Murray indicated he wasn’t conscious that a COVID-19 waiver of recruiting contact rules had actually expired. Throughout the investigation, the enforcement personnel identified that the school had appropriately informed football coaches on the suitable recruiting rules and the timing of modifications to them.”There’s no doubt that I’m exceptionally dissatisfied in what took place, “Venables said, “and I do know our staff works to be mindful of the guidelines,

and we have parameters– really clear, strong parameters– that remain in place, and sadly and entirely unintentionally that wasn’t the case here. DeMarco understands that, he knows all of that, and he’s accepted responsibility. I know who he is. Things will still happen regardless of strong measures in location that try to protect you. “