Title: Head coach, University of Alabama
Sport: Fastpitch Softball
Career Record: 596-185

Entering his 18th season as a collegiate coach, Murphy officially acquired the title of Alabama’s head coach on July 12, 1998. Ever since, Murphy has proven himself to be a leader capable of recruiting and developing talented players who perform on the field and in the classroom. Murphy has taken Alabama to the top of the college softball world. Beginning with his days as an assistant in the very first years of the Alabama softball program, Murphy has been the face of a team that has grown under his leadership to become one of the most consistently successful programs in the nation.

The accomplishments are there for everyone to see. Five College World Series berths, an SEC title and 10-straight NCAA Tournament bids are just a few of the team honors Murphy has brought to Tuscaloosa during his tenure.

The individual honors are just as impressive. Tide players have earned All-American honors no fewer than 53 times under Murphy’s watch. He has tutored 51 All-SEC performers and over 35 All-Region honorees. His teams have been just as successful in the classroom, with six Academic All-Americans and 77 Academic All-SEC players to his credit.

Even more impressively, Murphy has led the program to a surge of popularity among Tide fans. Alabama has become a regular atop the nation’s attendance standings, with an ever-growing group of loyal fans who fill the stands at the Alabama softball facility throughout the season.

Now in his 11th season as the head coach of the Crimson Tide, Murphy has turned his program into an absolute model of consistency, having guided Alabama to 10-consecutive NCAA tournaments, including appearances in the 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006 and 2008 Women’s College World Series.

In 2008, Murphy and his staff were named the NFCA South Region Coaching Staff of the Year for the fourth time after leading Alabama to a 58-8 overall record, and a school record .879 winning percentage.

Since taking over prior to the 1998 season, he has compiled a winning record in all 10 seasons. He has won 45 or more games in each of the past nine years with a program-best 66 victories in 2000 and 63 wins in 2005. Murphy has also won over 20 games in conference play in eight of his 10 seasons in the SEC.

Murphy’s ability to build and maintain the impressive level of consistency places him among the nation’s elite. He has a career mark of 596-185 in just over 11 seasons, including one year at Northwest Missouri State. His winning percentage of .763 ranks him fourth among active coaches who have coached at least five years at the Division I level. He has a .774 winning percentage as the head coach at the University of Alabama and has been just as successful in the always competitive SEC with a 222-72 (.753) record.