Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 7/17/18
From Press Release
Throughout the past 22 years, Mike Murphy has developed an impressive, comprehensive resume as a collegiate lacrosse coach. Beginning as an assistant at the Division III level, Murphy assumed virtually every possible role a college coach can undertake while gradually working his way to becoming a Division I head coach, taking over the Colgate University men’s program in 2011.
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New Hill School coach Mike Murphy
Deciding he was ready for a change, Murphy began pursuing career opportunities in the independent school world and resigned as Colgate coach 3 weeks ago. Today, Murphy was introduced as The Hill’s next head boys’ lacrosse coach.
Murphy takes over the program from Ned Ide and Chris Chirieleison ’85, who served as interim coaches during the 2017-2018 campaign.
“I want to thank Headmaster Zack Lehman and Director of Athletics Seth Eilberg for giving me the opportunity to continue my career at The Hill School,” Murphy said. “My family and I are very excited to join The Hill family.
“After getting to know many of the administrators and coaches involved in the search, my wife Jen and I knew that this would be a great place to continue to coach and mentor young men as well as raise our family. I have been familiar with the Hill as a college recruiter for a long time, and now we can’t wait to get started not only coaching but assisting in college counseling. Our hope is to give the young men in the program every opportunity to become the best version of themselves while competing on-and-off the field.”
A 1996 graduate of The University of New Hampshire, Murphy was a four-year member of the Wildcats’ men’s lacrosse team, which was a NCAA Division I program at the time. Immediately after graduating from U.N.H., Murphy began what would become a 22-year tenure as a college lacrosse coach.
He cut his teeth as an assistant coach and defensive coordinator at Merrimack College in the 1996-1997 season, and over the next six years Murphy also served as an assistant coach at Pfeiffer University, Wingate University, and Denison University.
In 2003, Murphy became the assistant coach at the United States Military Academy, beginning a lengthy stint as a Division I coach. While at Army, Murphy coached the team’s goalkeepers, defensemen, and faceoff specialists. Additionally, he was the recruiting co-coordinator and video coordinator.
Murphy remained at Army for eight seasons, during which time the program qualified for the NCAA tournament three times. While content with his role as an assistant, Murphy aspired to become a head collegiate coach if the opportunity arose. That opportunity came in 2011, when Murphy was hired as the head coach at Colgate University.
Murphy arrived at Colgate facing the tall order of succeeding Jim Nagle, the winningest coach in program history.
It was a challenge he was ready for. In his first season, Murphy guided the Raiders to a 14-4 record – a program record for single-season wins – and a trip to the quarterfinal of the NCAA tournament. In the opening round, Colgate upset a University of Massachusetts team that was ranked sixth in the nation.
One accolade that eluded the highly successful 2012 team was the Patriot League championship. After guiding the Raiders to the Patriot League playoffs in each of his first three seasons, Murphy led the 2015 Colgate team to the Patriot League title and another berth in the NCAA tournament, defeating four teams ranked in the nation’s top-20 in the process.
Murphy departed Colgate as the third-winningest coach in program history. Four of Murphy’s players were selected in the Major League Lacrosse draft, including Peter Baum, the first overall pick in the 2013 MLL draft. Baum also was the 2012 Tewaarton Award winner, the men’s lacrosse equivalent of the Heisman Trophy, and the 2012 Raymond J. Enners Award, given to the Division 1 Outstanding Men’s Lacrosse Player of the Year.
Throughout his tenure on a collegiate sideline, Murphy mentored 23 All-Americans, 100 All-Conference selections, and 12 Patriot League “Player of the Year” winners.
Having spent nearly a quarter-century preparing college-age young men for life after college, Murphy, who also will work in The Hill School’s College Counseling office, is looking forward to mentoring young men and women at an earlier stage of their lives.
“Coming to The Hill is a great opportunity to work at a world-class institution and assist young men in their aspirations to potentially play in college,” Murphy said. “It will allow me to continue to help young men on the lacrosse team and the young men and women I work with in the college counseling process become the best version of themselves. I’m looking forward to helping prepare them for life in college, as opposed to life after college.”
Eilberg quickly noted Murphy’s reputation as a coach who cares about his student-athletes’ off-field development as much as their on-field success.
“In his impressive and extensive college coaching career, Coach Murphy has consistently demonstrated a deep concern for his players and the ability to mentor his student-athletes into better leaders while developing them as lacrosse players to reach their full potential,” Eilberg said. “I am fully confident that he will have a major impact not only on our boys’ lacrosse program, but on the Hill Community as a whole.”
In addition to his collegiate coaching experience, Murphy also has a lengthy background in lacrosse summer camps. He is the owner of MJC Lacrosse, a clinic for boys between the ages of 9 and 17 that he founded in 2011; the Camp Director at Big South Challenge, located in Charlotte, N.C.; and he has been the Assistant Camp Director of Blue Chip 225 in Amherst, Mass. since 2005.
Murphy, who also was an assistant football coach during his two-year tenure at Denison University, will be an assistant football coach at The Hill. He and his wife, Jen, have two children, Colin (8) and Dylan Emma (4).
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