ANDERSON, S.C. - John Murphy, assistant men's soccer coach at Clemson University, has been named the new Trojan head men's soccer coach, as announced by Anderson University Director of Athletics Nancy Simpson on Wednesday.
Murphy, who spent two seasons on the sidelines with the Tigers, is expected to assume his duties later this month.
"I am extremely pleased that Anderson University has attracted a candidate of John Murphy's caliber." said Simpson. "He brings to us a breadth of experience at a variety of levels and is also a great mission fit for the university. I look forward to the future success of the program under John's leadership and welcome him to Trojan Athletics."
A native of Quincy, Mass. Murphy has more than 20 years of experience as a player and coach, with nearly a decade of Major League Soccer coaching experience and nine seasons at the collegiate level as well. In 2009, he became the first American citizen to work in British professional soccer as a coach when he was hired by Livingston of the Scottish First Division.
At the collegiate level, Murphy, who was recognized twice as the NSCAA New England Coach of the Year (1994 and 1999), served as the head coach at Assumption College (Worcester, Mass.) and Massasoit Community College (Brockton, Mass.), and was an assistant coach at Brown University. He won championships at each institution and was nominated for NSCAA Coach of the Year honors twice (1994 and 2000).
Murphy helped guide his teams to eight conference championships,
while leading a pair of players to league Freshman of the Year
honors. His Massasoit Community College squad won the 1994 NJCAA
National Academic Male Team award for highest team GPA and
Assumption College earned the 2000 ECAC Division II
Championship.
As an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Clemson, he
helped guide the Tigers to an 8-8-2 overall record last season,
including a 4-4 Atlantic Coast Conference record, before Clemson
fell in overtime to Duke in the quarterfinals of the ACC
Tournament.
Murphy played an important role in the success of three MLS franchises and was on the staff of New England Revolution head coach Steve Nicol and Columbus Crew coach Greg Andrulis, both of whom earned MLS Coach of the Year Accolades, while Murphy was an assistant.
He served as both an assistant coach and Director of Player Development with the Colorado Rapids over a four-year span, while also coaching the reserve team to back-to-back MLS Reserve League Championships in 2006 and 2007.
During the 2004 season with Columbus, Murphy played an important
role in the team's turnaround as an assistant coach and goalkeeper
coach. During his time with the Crew, the team set an MLS record
with an 18-game unbeaten streak after overcoming a winless streak
at the start of the season to finish with its first-ever Eastern
Conference regular-season title.
Prior to joining the Crew, Murphy worked four years with the New
England Revolution as an assistant coach and goalkeeper coach,
helping them to the 2001 US Open Cup Final and the 2002 MLS Cup
Final.
Murphy is the author of two books on soccer, published an instructional DVD set through Championship Productions earlier this year, and as a staff member of the National Soccer Coaches Association of America is a nationally recognized clinician.
He holds the prestigious UEFA Pro Badge from the Scottish Football Association, a U.S. Soccer "A" License,, an NSCAA Advanced National Diploma, and was the first foreign-born coach to earn an English Football Association "A" Goalkeeper Coaching License.
Murphy earned an associate's degree from Massasoit Community College, a bachelor's degree in physical education from Bridgewater State University and also has a degree in Applied Management from the University of Warwick.
He played soccer at Massasoit Community College in 1985 and 1986 and was a member of the 1986 undefeated NJCAA National Championship team. That squad was named to the school's Athletic Hall of Fame in 2010. He is married to Erin Murphy and the couple has three sons, Shay Weston (9), Eamon Richard (6) and Declan Ryan (3).
"I want to thank Dr. Whitaker, Nancy Simpson and the search committee for this opportunity." said Murphy. "Their professionalism and hospitality made me feel at home. I am joining Anderson University at a very exciting time - a time of growth both academically as well as athletically. I am looking forward to continuing and building on the success of the men's soccer program."
Anderson will be defending the South Atlantic Conference regular-season title and claimed its second consecutive South Atlantic Conference Tournament crown last season, as the Trojans set a new school record with 17 victories and made their third consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
The two-time defending South Atlantic Conference champion Trojans open the 2012 regular season on the road, Sunday, Sept. 1, at UNC Pembroke.
John Murphy
Coaching Experience: Assistant Coach, Clemson University, 2010-11; Head Coach, Livingston FC, 2009; Assistant Coach and Director of Player Development, Colorado Rapids, 2005-08; Assistant Coach, Columbus Crew, 2004; New England Revolution, 2000-03; Head Coach, Massasoit Community College, 1994; Assistant Coach, Brown University, 1995-97; Head Coach, Assumption College, 1998-2000.
Playing Experience: Massasoit Community College, 1985-86
