Harvard’s Tim Murphy, the winningest head soccer coach in Ivy league historical past, stepped down on Wednesday after 30 seasons patrolling the Crimson’s sidelines.
Murphy, 67, gave no indication after Harvard’s 23-18 loss to Yale in New Haven, Conn., on Nov. 18 that he had simply concluded his last season. With the loss, Harvard led to a three-way tie with Yale and Dartmouth for the Ivy League title, the document tenth on Murphy’s watch.
“Harvard University has been a very special place for my family and me,” stated Murphy in a ready assertion. “I am graduating from a profession that has not only been a job, but other than my family and close friends, it has been the passion in my life for the past 45 years.”
Erin McDermott, the ninth athletic director in Harvard historical past, should make the signature rent of her tenure and there’s a robust risk she is going to look in-house.
The two doubtless candidates are Harvard alumni, quarterbacks coach Joel Lamb (1993) and defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Scott Larkee (1999). Both are long-time Murphy assistants and former Crimson gamers.
Lamb was a Herald All-Scholastic quarterback from Natick High School who completed his 18th season instructing a protracted stream of profitable Crimson passers. Lamb served in the identical capability at Yale for 9 seasons. Larkee is a former Harvard linebacker who simply wrapped up his seventeenth season as a Harvard assistant accrued over two stints. The outdoors risk could be Columbia head coach Jon Poppe, a Williams College graduate who served two stretches on Murphy’s employees from 2011-2014 and 2017-2022.
“It has been an incredible honor to be the football coach at Harvard and I am forever grateful to have been blessed to work with so many amazing people starting with the 1,000 student athletes and 80-plus coaches during my tenure here,” stated Murphy.
Murphy was employed in 1994 to switch Joe Restic, a embellished WW II veteran and practitioner of the Veer offense who guided the Harvard program for 23 seasons from 1971 to 1993. Restic completed with an general document of 117-96-6 with a high-water mark of 8-2 in 1987.
Murphy departs Cambridge with an general document of 200-89, a major accomplishment contemplating that Harvard performs 10 common season video games, not 12 like different packages.
The Ivy League doesn’t maintain a post-season championship recreation and Harvard, a lot to Murphy’s chagrin, by rule doesn’t compete within the FCS playoffs. Most different Harvard sports activities take part in league and NCAA post-season tournaments, however each soccer season ends with Yale.
Murphy hit a serious milestone in 2023 with Crimson’s 17-9 house win towards Dartmouth when he broke Yale legend Carm Cozza’s document of 135 wins towards Ivy League opponents. Murphy completed with 141 convention victories and was 19-10 towards Yale within the annual occasion referred to as “The Game.”
Murphy completed .500 or higher in 23 seasons and went undefeated (9-0) in 2001 and 10-0 in 2004 and 2014, the one three-time unbeaten coach because the league was fashioned in 1956.
Murphy’s quarterback in 2004 was Ryan Fitzpatrick, who went on to play 17 seasons within the NFL. Murphy has been left to marvel what Harvard might have achieved within the FCS playoffs with Fitzpatrick underneath heart.
“Harvard has 150 years of football history and Tim Murphy led the most successful era of its entirety in his 30 seasons,” stated McDermott. “His identify will likely be without end linked with Harvard soccer in an exalted method due to the sustained workforce success, teaching milestones achieved and the measure of his character and work ethic.
“Coach Murphy changed Ivy League football upon his entry and we are all better for it. Harvard is grateful for his service and leadership and I am grateful to have experienced these last few seasons with him.”
Source: www.bostonherald.com