Rumor: DeMarco Murry or Tashard Choice could land on the Cowboys coaching staff
Jason Witten is not the only former Cowboys player who is being connected to a future coaching staff.
In 2011, Dallas Cowboys running backs DeMarco Murray and Tashard Choice competed for carries in the offseason. Now, both men may compete to be members of the next coaching staff in Dallas.
Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram mentions Jason Witten as one former player to watch when the Cowboys assemble a coaching staff in 2025, but now mentions Murray and Choice as candidates the Joneses could push for as their next running backs coach.
.@NickHarrisFWST doesn't believe Jason Witten will be the next head coach of the Cowboys, but says it’s a wide spread expectation that Jason will be on staff in 2025.
— Zach Gelb (@ZachGelb) January 16, 2025
Nick also said keep an eye on @DeMarcoMurray or @coachchoice to be the next running backs coach of the Cowboys. pic.twitter.com/Kb5hANo8Ou
Choice and Murray have extensive experience as coaches. They are the running backs coaches for Texas and Oklahoma University, respectively. Murray has been with Oklahoma since 2020 and has coached a few notable players who were eventually drafted into the NFL in Rhamondre Stevenson and Eric Gray. In 2022, Murray’s running back group averaged a Big 12-leading 219.4 rushing yards per game (ranked 10th nationally).
Choice may not have had the same level of success as Murray at the NFL level, but the Longhorns' running backs coach may have a better résumé regarding what he’s built at the University of Texas.
The former Cowboys fourth-round pick has been with the Longhorns since 2021 and has coached high-profile names like Bijan Robinson, Jonathan Brooks, and Roschon Johnson. Before his time with Texas, Choice was the running backs coach at Georgia Tech and worked with Jordan Mason and Jahmyr Gibbs before transferring to Alabama.
This year, a rushing renaissance has taken over offensive football, headlined by Saquon Barkley and Derrick Henry. Their success has helped elevate their quarterbacks' play and made playing offense easier.
The Cowboys had a reputation for being a dominant rushing team. But that reputation has withered away over the last few seasons, with a revolving door of an aging Ezekiel Elliott, Tony Pollard, and Rico Dowdle. Even with Dowdle being the first undrafted player to rush for 1,000 yards in Cowboys history, Dallas needs a different approach to help Dak Prescott's play, which starts with coaching.
Even if the next Cowboys head coach has different plans for his staff, Jerry Jones may “highly suggest” one of his former players to help lead the running back room. However, having Choice or Murray on staff won’t be just a publicity stunt. Both have had great success at the college level and could vastly improve the running game in 2025, especially if the Cowboys drafted Ashton Jeanty in the first round.
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