As Andy Reid continues to remake his coaching staff before the start of the 2026 offseason, a pivotal piece on the offensive side has fallen into place with a name no one expected: new running backs coach DeMarco Murray.
The Chiefs have reportedly zeroed in on Murray to coach up the ground game, replacing Todd Pinkston, a former NFL wide receiver who was coaching the team's running backs for the last three seasons.
The hiring of Murray is welcome news for those who've called for Andy Reid to bring in some fresh perspective after a frustrating season marked by a 6-11 record and a seat outside the postseason. While injuries were partially to blame, Reid and his staff were also at fault in several close losses due to a lack of adjustments, predictable game plans, odd player usage, and more.
The changes began at the coordinator position on the offensive side for the Chiefs this winter. Matt Nagy left to pursue other opportunities (landing with the New York Giants as offensive coordinator after failing to secure a head coaching job), and Eric Bieniemy was hired to take his place. The reunion with Bieniemy was only the beginning, as the team fired both Pinkston and wide receivers coach Connor Embree as well.
Andy Reid continues to remake his coaching staff with a few new faces, including the import RB coach DeMarco Murray.
Murray joins WR coach Chad O'Shea as a pivotal hire with significant work ahead. For the latter, the challenge is coaching up young talent that has stalled in the developmental process. For Murray, he's likely working with a whole new running backs room in 2026 as the Chiefs remake the depth chart at the position. Anything feels possible in both free agency and the draft with Brashard Smith as the only holder on the roster.
For Murray, the decision to leave Oklahoma had to be a tough one, knowing he'd worked at his alma mater since 2020 as the team's RB coach. Murray rushed for 3,685 yards from 2007-10 with over 5,200 yards from scrimmage and 63 total touchdowns in his career. He was a third-round pick by the Dallas Cowboys in the 2011 NFL Draft and went on to be named the NFL's Offensive Player of the Year in 2014. He also earned three Pro Bowl nods.
While further changes could be made, the Chiefs' offensive staff looks like a complete unit at this point:
- Offensive Coordinator - Eric Bieniemy
- Passing Game Coordinator - Joe Bleymaier
- Quarterbacks - David Girardi
- Assistant QB - Dan Williams
- Running Backs - DeMarco Murray
- Wide Receivers - Chad O'Shea
- Tight Ends - Tom Melvin
- Offensive Line - Andy Heck
- Asst. OL - Corey Matthaei
- Quality Control - Nate Pagan