May 14, 2007
SANTA CLARA, Calif. - Santa Clara women's soccer head coach Jerry Smith announced today the addition of Gregg Murphy to his staff as Associate Head Coach. With the hiring, Murphy becomes the first associate head coach in program history.
"First of all, I would like to acknowledge that this was a very difficult decision for Gregg. He is leaving a great program and community, and most importantly, he's leaving a team full of wonderful student-athletes for whom he cares a great deal," said Santa Clara head coach Jerry Smith. "Having coached against Gregg for the last 11 years, I have seen how hard Gregg's players play for him. That says a lot about the special bond that existed between Gregg and his players. That goes beyond the x's and o's of the sport. A couple of our players, Amanda Poach and Jordan Angeli, gave us some additional insight in to Gregg as a teacher, motivator, mentor, and person when they played for the United States U-20 team in the youth World Cup last fall where Gregg served as the assistant.
"Gregg brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to our program and will be an incredible addition to our staff," Smith continued. "His many years as a Division I head coach, as well as his experience in coaching with our Olympic Development and National Teams Programs will certainly make an immediate impact for us. I'm also excited because I believe Gregg sees this move to Santa Clara University as a great place to be for a long time for him and his family. I truly believe that with the addition of Gregg, along with current assistants Curtis McAlister and Albertin Montoya, we have assembled a great team of coaches for our Women's Soccer Program."
Murphy, 45, spent the past 11 seasons as the head women's soccer coach at Loyola Marymount, posting a record of 105-78-27 (.564) and leading the Lions to their only NCAA Tournament appearances in program history, in 2002 and 2006. While at Loyola Marymount, Murphy turned around a struggling program, leading LMU to its first winning season in 1997, his second year at the helm, and finishing over .500 in eight of his 11 seasons in Los Angeles. Murphy also led the Lions to a second-place finish in the West Coast Conference in 2000, as his squad posted a record of 12-6-1 (5-2-0 WCC).
"I'm very, very excited to be joining a top program here at Santa Clara that is so rich in success and tradition and helping the Broncos to their next national title," Murphy said. "I am going to miss Loyola Marymount and everything about the team, but this was a chance to create a new, quality life for my family as well as a great career opportunity."
In 2002, Murphy led the Lions to the program's first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance, finishing the year with a 10-7-3 record, and finishing tied for third in the West Coast Conference, good for an at-large berth into the Field of 64. LMU would again reach the postseason in 2006, earning a second at-large berth with a third-place finish the WCC and an overall mark of 10-3-6 (2-1-4 WCC).
Murphy also served as an assistant coach with the U.S. Under-20 National Team that participated in the FIFA Under-20 World Championships, where he helped guide the team, which included current Broncos Jordan Angeli and Amanda Poach, to a fourth-place finish.
Murphy began his collegiate coaching career at his alma mater, Chapman University in Orange, Calif., where he became the full-time coach of the women's program in 1990. He gradually built the program into one of the most successful in the region. He guided the team to its first winning season in 1992 and followed with four consecutive winning campaigns. The 1994 squad finished with a 13-6 overall record competing as an NCAA Division III independent, while the 1995 squad posted a school-best 13-5 record and was ranked third in the West Region.
On the men's side, he inherited a struggling program in 1990, but increased its win total each season, capping the program's rise with a 17-4-1 record and a trip to the 1995 NCAA Division III Final Four. His men's teams, which were ranked among the West Region's top-three squads in his last three seasons, captured the 1995 West Regional championship. For his efforts, Murphy was named the 1995 NCAA West Regional Coach of the Year. Prior to entering the coaching ranks, Murphy established rich ties to Chapman as a player.
A four-year letter-winner (1981-84) for the Panthers, he earned all-conference honors three times and All-America honors twice. In 1984 he played for the West Regional team and was named an alternate on the U.S. National Universities Team. He remains one of Chapman's greatest scorers with 24 goals, 12 assists, and 60 career points. Upon graduation, Murphy played two seasons with the Los Angeles Lazers reserve team of the Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL).