Venables Hires Assistant Coaches McCullough, Morgan

NORMAN — University of Oklahoma head football coach Brent Venables announced the hiring of two veteran and highly successful assistant coaches on Sunday. Deland McCullough joins the OU staff as running backs coach and LaMar Morgan as cornerbacks coach.

"I'm incredibly excited about the addition of two fantastic football coaches, great men, great leaders," said Venables. "Our players are going to love learning under them. Both jobs were highly coveted, and we went through exhaustive searches for both positions. Deland and LaMar separated from the pack with their extensive experience, their knowledge and their ability to teach, lead, fit in with our staff and connect on the recruiting trail. There was no compromise in any of those areas and both knocked it out of the park during the interview process. Our players will be the beneficiaries of their leadership, coaching and development.

"These are guys who had several other NFL and college opportunities but chose to come to Norman. They recognize the value of the Oklahoma brand, the players they can recruit and the staff they can align with. They were both looking for a place to call home, a place where they felt they could win a championship and step into an environment where they can win at the highest level, be with great people and coach great players."

Running Backs Coach Deland McCullough

One of the most respected developers of running back talent in college and professional football, McCullough brings championship experience, proven production and national recruiting reach to Oklahoma. A Super Bowl champion with the Kansas City Chiefs and a veteran of both the NFL and major college football, McCullough has built his reputation on consistent results and disciplined player development.

Since becoming a full-time running backs coach in 2011, McCullough has mentored backs who have produced 17 seasons of 1,000 or more yards from scrimmage. His units have excelled at every level — from record-setting college rushing attacks to championship-caliber NFL offenses.

McCullough spent the 2025 season with the Las Vegas Raiders, where rookie Ashton Jeanty totaled 1,321 yards from scrimmage and 10 touchdowns, setting a franchise rookie record. McCullough's ability to transition players from college systems into productive professional contributors has been a hallmark of his coaching career.

Prior to his time in the NFL, McCullough served three seasons at Notre Dame (2022-24), where his running backs room became one of the nation's most productive. In 2023, Audric Estimé rushed for 1,341 yards and a program-record 18 touchdowns to earn second-team All-America honors and become Notre Dame's first AP All-America running back since 1998. In 2024, Jeremiyah Love followed with 1,125 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns, averaging 6.9 yards per carry and ranking among the national leaders in both touchdowns and yards per carry.

In his first season with the Irish, McCullough immediately elevated the group as Estimé racked up 1,071 scrimmage yards, Logan Diggs 1,031 and Chris Tyree 582. Each averaged at least 4.4 yards per carry. Notre Dame rushed for 2,457 yards that season, the program's sixth-highest total since 1996.

Prior to his stint at Notre Dame, McCullough served as running backs coach at Indiana in 2021, helping Stephen Carr to a career year with 600 rushing yards and six touchdowns in nine games for the Hoosiers.

McCullough's title also included "associate head coach" during his time at both Notre Dame and Indiana, bringing leadership experience that extends beyond his position room.

During three seasons with the NFL's Chiefs (2018-20), McCullough helped guide the franchise to three consecutive AFC Championship Games, back-to-back Super Bowl appearances and a victory in Super Bowl LIV. His running backs consistently ranked among league leaders in yards after contact, yards after catch and pass protection efficiency. Over three seasons, the group surrendered just four sacks, including zero in 2020. After the 2019 season, he was recognized as NFL Running Backs Coach of the Year at the NFL Scouting Combine.

McCullough coached multiple Pro Bowl and high-level performers in Kansas City, including Anthony Sherman, Kareem Hunt, Damien Williams, LeSean McCoy, Le'Veon Bell and Clyde Edwards-Helaire, who surpassed 1,000 yards from scrimmage as a rookie in 2020.

Before making the jump to the NFL, McCullough spent the 2017 season as run game coordinator and running backs coach at USC, helping the Trojans capture a Pac-12 Championship. Under his guidance, Ronald Jones registered 1,737 scrimmage yards and 20 touchdowns to earn All-America honors. He was selected in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft.

McCullough's first stint at Indiana was from 2011-16 under head coach Kevin Wilson, who now serves as OU's assistant head coach for offense. Those six seasons remain one of the most productive rushing eras in program history, as the Hoosiers set 19 school rushing records during the stretch. McCullough tutored Tevin Coleman (2015) and Jordan Howard (2016), who became the first IU running backs drafted in consecutive years since 1990-92. Coleman rushed for a school-record 2,036 yards in 2014 and earned unanimous All-America honors. In 2015, Howard (1,213 yards) and Devine Redding (1,012 yards) became the first Indiana running back duo to eclipse 1,000 yards in the same season. McCullough was named BTN.com Running Backs Coach of the Year in 2014.

He began his collegiate coaching career at Miami (Ohio) in 2010, helping the RedHawks win a MAC Championship.

A native of Youngstown, Ohio, McCullough was a standout running back at Miami (Ohio), earning three All-MAC selections and becoming the program's first MAC Freshman of the Year. He rushed for more than 4,300 career yards, led the team in rushing four consecutive seasons and was later inducted into the Miami Athletics Hall of Fame.

Following his college career, McCullough played professionally with the Cincinnati Bengals, Philadelphia Eagles and Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the CFL. His career was cut short as the result of three ACL reconstructions in four seasons.

McCullough earned his degree in sociology from Miami (Ohio) in 1996. He and his wife, Darnell, have four sons: Deland II, Dasan, Daeh and Diem.

Cornerbacks Coach LaMar Morgan

Morgan, a 14-year college assistant coach who coordinated defenses for two years at Louisiana-Lafayette from 2022-23, spent the last two seasons at Michigan, where he served as defensive pass game coordinator and defensive backs coach.

Last season, the Michigan defense registered 13 interceptions and ranked 21st nationally in total defense and 16th in scoring defense through the regular season. Morgan mentored cornerback Zeke Berry to second-team All-Big Ten honors, while cornerback Jyaire Hill, safety Brandyn Hillman and safety TJ Metcalf all received honorable mention all-league acclaim.

In 2024, his first season with the Wolverines, Morgan oversaw a unit that allowed fewer than 260 passing yards to 10 of 13 opponents and contributed to an overall defense that ranked 10th nationally in yards allowed (307.0 per game) and 19th in points allowed (19.9 per contest). He tutored cornerback Will Johnson, who earned second-team All-America and All-Big Ten honors after registering two interceptions returned for a touchdown and five pass breakups in just six games.

As defensive coordinator and secondary coach at Louisiana-Lafayette from 2022-23, Morgan guided a Ragin' Cajuns unit that ranked 49th nationally in total defense (361.7 yards per game), 36th in scoring defense (22.8 points per game), 50th in rushing defense (141.6 yards per game) and 19th in takeaways (23) in 2022 and ranked 26th in takeaways (22) in 2023.

Morgan also served as cornerbacks coach at ULL from 2019-20. In all four of his seasons on staff, the Ragin' Cajun secondary registered double-digit interceptions (10, 16, 15, 13). He helped improve a defensive unit that ranked 55th in passing yards allowed, 110th in pass efficiency defense, 105th in scoring, and 97th in total defense before his arrival to sixth in passing defense, second in passing efficiency, 31st in scoring defense, and 33rd in total defense by the end of the 2020 campaign.

Between his stints at ULL, Morgan spent one year as cornerbacks coach at Vanderbilt (2021), returning to the school where he began his career as a graduate assistant. The Commodores improved from six interceptions in the 2019 and '20 seasons combined to 13 interceptions in 2021 and posted a top-30 red zone defense.

Morgan coached safeties from 2016-18 at Louisiana-Monroe (2016-17) and Houston (2018). During his time at ULM, the Warhawks ranked 16th nationally in passing defense in 2016 and 20th in interceptions in 2017. In 2018, Houston ranked 20th in the country with its 24 takeaways, a figure that included 14 interceptions (ranked 24th).

Morgan's first full-time job was as the secondary coach at Western Carolina from 2014-15. The Catamounts ranked fifth in the FCS in pass defense with 11 interceptions in 2014, the program's most in five years.

Morgan began his coaching career as a graduate assistant for two seasons at Vanderbilt (2012-13). He worked with the Sam linebackers and nickelbacks, helping guide the team to consecutive 9-4 records and bowl game appearances. In 2012, the Commodores finished 19th nationally in total defense, 15th in scoring defense, 14th in passing defense, 13th in interceptions, and sixth in pass efficiency defense. The following year in 2013, the unit ranked 23rd in total defense, passing defense and pass efficiency defense, and 13th in interceptions.

A product of Copperas Cove, Texas, Morgan played four years at ULL (2003, '05-'07) and appeared in 40 games at safety. A four-year letterwinner and starter for the Ragin' Cajuns, he totaled 111 career tackles, including four for loss, four interceptions and six pass breakups. He was a semifinalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy and a two-time member of the Sun Belt Commissioner's List and a five-time member of the Sun Belt Conference Honor Roll.

Morgan and his wife, Jazen, have four children: daughter Kroix, twins Krue (son) and Kalais (daughter), and son Kross.

ADDITIONAL QUOTES

Head Coach Brent Venables on Deland McCullough:

"Deland has an impeccable reputation as a leader, a teacher and a motivator. His experience is exceptional and he had a strong reputation going into the interview process. We had a previous relationship, but that was a parent-coach relationship. Now we were recruiting him in a different way. I just love Deland's respect for and desire to align with a university power like Oklahoma. He had great familiarity with some of our players from the recruiting process while he was at Notre Dame. I was really just excited for his hunger to be at a place like OU. On top of everything else, there was just great alignment between us. From a development and leadership standpoint, he's going to have tremendous impact on day one."

Head Coach Brent Venables on LaMar Morgan:

"The most impressive thing about LaMar during the interview process was his football acumen. He's got extensive experience as a play-caller, and that was among a handful of factors that separated him from the rest of the pack. What also stood out is who he is as a teacher. He's a great relationship-driven coach and I love his passion, his fire, his energy and the details he coaches with, as well as how he's able to motivate and get the best out of his guys. He's a fantastic recruiter, wonderful human being, husband and father. As a coach, he's tough and demanding, but the players are going to love his passion and energy he brings to the building every single day."

Running Backs Coach Deland McCullough:

"I've been blessed to coach at every level of this game. What's been consistent everywhere I've been is development and production at the running back position. Our players will be detailed, dependable and disciplined. That standard does not change.

"Oklahoma represents grit, tradition and championship expectation. I've recruited several of the backs in this room and built strong relationships here. Now it's about raising the ceiling and competing at the highest level in the SEC.

"I've been around great coaches who taught me to be an expert at your position. That's something I take seriously. When our guys step on the field, what we teach holds. They're prepared, confident and ready to perform."

Cornerbacks Coach LaMar Morgan:

"This is a storied program, and everybody knows the OU logo. No matter where you are in the country, whenever the Sooners play, everybody's paying attention. The opportunity to join a staff that is respected across college football — from offense to defense to special teams — was important to me. It's awesome to be around that and a part of that.

"You always want to find ways to better yourself as a coach and a person, and the best way to do that is be around people who have 'been there, done that,' in terms of having success at every level. And that's what you see here at OU. For me, specifically on defense, when you walk in that staff room and see multiple guys who have been developing and growing as people and coaches, this is a great opportunity. Multiple guys have been coordinators and Coach Venables is a very accomplished one himself. That's all very attractive as a young coach.

"My mom was a dyslexia teacher, so I realize the importance of education. I want to be an elite teacher. I want to take a young man when he gets here at 17 or 18 years old and teach him the game, teach him about life and what it means to be a Sooner. Those are very important things in this transactional climate of today. I want to be a transformational coach who gets players to really buy into the brotherhood here. The standard here is really, really high, and we have to work with our guys to strive to get better each and every day."

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