Mike Murphy - CT Lacrosse Hall of Fame
Mike Murphy, the all-time winningest head coach in Penn Men’s Lacrosse history, recently completed one of the greatest seasons in Penn program history in 2019. The Quakers tied the program record with 12 wins, achieved the highest national ranking in program history, won the Ivy League’s regular season and tournament championships for the first time in the same season, and reached the quarterfinals of the NCAA Championship for the first time since 1988.
After losing their first three games of 2019 – each to a Top-5 opponent – the Quakers won 12 in a row to tie the program record for most consecutive wins. Along the way, the Quakers defeated the defending national champions for just the second time in program history with an epic 13-12 win in 3 OTs over Yale at Franklin Field. That win was part of a perfect 6-0 Ivy League slate which earned Murphy his first Ivy League title as a head coach and gave the Quakers their first outright and undefeated Ivy League title since 1984.
At the end of the season, Murphy was named unanimous Ivy League Coach of the Year and a program-record nine players were named All-Ivy. Freshman Sam Handley led the way, earning unanimous Ivy League Rookie of the Year honors and topping a program-high four first-team All-Ivy selections.
Murphy has had seven of his players drafted by Major League Lacrosse in the last five years -- Zack Losco (Charlotte Hounds) in 2014, Joe McCallion (Denver Outlaws) and Matt McMahon (Ohio Machine) in 2015, and Nick Doktor (Charlotte Hounds) in 2016, Connor Keating (Denver Outlaws) and Kevin McGeary (Boston Cannons) in 2018, and Tyler Dunn (Florida Machine) in 2019. Dunn also be drafted No. 8 overall (Redwoods LC) in the inaugural Premier Lacrosse League Draft in 2019, and he would join fellow Quakers McCallion and McMahon in the PLL.
Overall during his time at Penn, Murphy has coached 16 All-Americans, 50 All-Ivy players and advanced to three NCAA Championships.
In addition, Murphy spent seven years at Haverford College where he took the program to unprecedented heights. The Fords steadily improved every year under his leadership, and Murphy departed Haverford with a 64-41 record and matched the school record for wins originally set by program founder Dana Swan. Other coaching stops for Murphy include assistant tenures at Penn, Virginia and Brown.
Murphy was a member of the Division III NCAA Championships Committee from 2005-09. He is vice president of the Intercollegiate Men’s Lacrosse Coaches Association (IMLCA) and currently sits on the NCAA rules committee after previously serving on the NCAA Championships Regional Advisory Committee. He also coached the South Team at the 2005 Division III North/South All-Star Game.
Murphy attended Duke University, where he was a three-year starter (one as a long stick middie, two at closed defense) for the nationally ranked Blue Devils and captain of the 1991 team. He graduated with a degree in history and political science. Murphy also holds a master’s degree in higher education management from Penn, earned in May 2004.