For CJ Murray, football is more than a sport.
As a player, Murray was in charge of getting himself where he needed to be, but now as the running back coach for Washburn University, he must find a way to impart his knowledge of the game to a new generation of players.
Murray is from Lee’s Summit, Missouri, and attended Blue Springs High School before coming to Washburn. As a player, Murray was a part of the Washburn football program for six years, where he started in 26 of his 35 games. According to wusports, Murray also made the Ichabod Academic Honor Roll five times.
Murray wrapped up his final season as a Washburn football player fall of 2023, where he played as an offensive lineman. Today, Murray coaches the team as a graduate assistant
and the running backs coach.
“I wanted to give back to the game and also pursue a career in coaching football at the collegiate level,” Murray said.
For Murray, coaching is not just a job; it’s a calling. The opportunity to stay connected to football while also influencing the next generation of players is something he approaches with strong enthusiasm and constant dedication.
Murray often incorporates his football experience as he considers what he learned from his coaches.
“It is very important to know how to communicate with guys and knowing how I would want to be communicated with when I played has helped me coach,” Murray said.
His firsthand experience allows him to relate to current players on a deeper level, understanding their mindset and challenges because he has faced them himself.
“CJ has always been good at making sure everyone felt respected, and he does a great job as a GA,” said Jacob Glenndenning, one of Murray’s former teammates and now fellow GA coach.
Players returning to their alma mater to coach gives the program an inherent advantage, especially in Murray’s case.
“It is very important to get people within a program that have like minds, so they can build and grow off of each other,” said Josh Osborn, special teams coordinator/offensive assistant coach for Washburn football. “Guys that come back make it easier on all the staff, mainly because they understand team needs and culture.”
For some, it might seem like it would be easy to go from player to coach because of all the knowledge they had to know as a player, but in reality, there are a lot of things that could hold an individual back.
One of the hardest things a graduate assistant will face if they coach at a school they played for is how to approach conflict or disagreements with current players, given their past as a teammate. Murray finds that respect goes a long way.
“Just talk with them and hear them out and then come to a solution regarding the issue at hand. But it comes down to respect and tone and having that trust also.”
Though the change from player to coach is difficult, Murray is thankful for the opportunity.
“I will be forever grateful for my time at Washburn,” Murray said.
Edited by Jeremy Ford
