Tide’s Murphy Going Into Hall Of Fame

Alabama Softball Coach Patrick Murphy will be inducted into the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Hall of Fame, the organization announced during its annual convention held in Orlando, Fla.

“Coach Murphy is a deserving inductee into the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Hall of Fame,” said Mal Moore, University of Alabama Director of Athletics. “Patrick has built one of the best softball programs in the country, virtually from the ground up. His commitment to his players has extended far beyond simply developing them as excellent softball players, but has helped them reach their goals academically and in other facets of their lives. I couldn’t be more proud of the job that Patrick has done for Alabama over the years. He is truly worthy of this honor.”

In 15 years as a head coach, Murphy has compiled a 772-218 record (.779 winning percentage) and in 14 seasons at Alabama, which culminated with its first national championship this past season, Murphy has a 744-198 (.789) record.

Murphy has guided the Crimson Tide to eight Women’s College World Series berths, including three straight semifinal appearances prior to claiming the first national title in Southeastern Conference softball history in 2012. In addition to his accolades at the collegiate level, Murphy has also impacted the sport at the youth level in the state of Alabama.

“More important than the success Coach Murphy has earned as our head coach and the impact he has made for our University, is the impact he has made on the sport of fastpitch softball in the state of Alabama, in the south and nationally,” said Marie Robbins, University of Alabama Associate Athletics Director and Senior Women’s Administrator. “Today, fast-pitch softball flourishes throughout Alabama in the public and private schools during the school year and with multiple travel teams and tournaments throughout the summer.”

An Iowa native, Murphy was part of the inaugural season of Alabama softball as an assistant coach and took over as head coach just two seasons into the program’s history. Since his first year as the head coach for the Tide in 1999, Murphy has guided Alabama to 14 straight NCAA tournament appearances. Since taking the Tide to the postseason in his first year at the helm and the WCWS in just year two, Alabama has won four SEC regular season titles (2005, 2010-12), including three in a row, and four SEC tournament championships (2003, 2005, 2010, and 2012).

Under his direction the Alabama coaching staff has been named the South Region Coaching Staff of the Year eight times. His players have earned 39 All-American honors and 12 Academic All-America honors. The team has won 50 or more games 10 times, including in eight straight seasons, which is an SEC record.

Murphy, a native of Fayette, Iowa, also spent time as the Northwest Missouri State University head coach, and started his softball coaching career as a graduate assistant and later an assistant coach at Southwestern Louisiana (now Louisiana-Lafayette).

Murphy will join 58 other members next year when he is inducted into NFCA Hall of Fame at the 2013 NFCA Convention in Orlando, Fla.