Rob Murphy (Eastern Michigan head coach)

The 2015-16 campaign will signify Head Coach Rob Murphy's fifth season at the helm of the Eastern Michigan men's basketball program.

In just four seasons since arriving from Syracuse University, Murphy has made great strides at Eastern Michigan University. The Green and White saw its second-straight 20-or-more win season during the 2014-15 campaign as Murphy led the Green and White to a 21-14 mark on the year, capped by his second win over a Big Ten opponent when the Eagles knocked off the University of Michigan, Dec. 9, inside the Crisler Center in Ann Arbor, Mich. It was just the third time in EMU history that the Green and White have knocked off the Maize and Blue. In addition, Eastern made it to its second-straight postseason tournament when the Eagles qualified for the College Basketball Invitational (CBI). EMU held teams to a 38.6 field goal percentage, marking the 10th-best in NCAA Division I basketball during the 2014-15 season, while the Eagles saw one of its own make history for the second-straight season. Raven Lee set the single season record for points scored by a sophomore when he totaled 586 points on the season. Not only did Lee garner that honor, but he became the 29th EMU student-athlete to reach the 1,000-point plateau. For his efforts during the 2014-15 season, Lee was named to the All-Mid-American Conference Third Team after averaging 16.7 points per game, the most since Brandon Bowdry posted 19.9 points during the 2010-11 season. Thus far, Murphy has coached a trio of All-MAC Third Team award winners, in addition to a pair of All-MAC Honorable Mention student-athletes.

At the conclusion of the 2013-14 season after guiding the Eagles to a 22-15 record and the semifinals of the Mid-American Conference Tournament, Murphy was named a finalist for the Ben Jobe Award. The Eagles' 22 victories were the most since the 1996-97 season and tied for fourth-most in EMU history. Under Murphy, EMU reached the second round of the CollegeInsider.com Tournament (CIT), marking the first time the Eagles had competed in postseason play since the 1997-98 season. During the historic season, the Eagles led the nation in field goal percentage defense behind the 2-3 zone Murphy implemented upon arriving at EMU. In addition to the team success, Murphy coached Da'Shonte Riley into becoming Eastern's first ever MAC Defensive Player of the Year during the 2013-14 campaign. Along with Riley's award, Karrington Ward was named All-MAC Third Team, while Lee scored the most points by an EMU freshman with 380.

In Murphy's second season at EMU, the Eagles registered a 47-44 victory against Purdue. It was the first time since the 1996-97 season that EMU had beaten a Big Ten opponent. During the 2012-13 campaign, the Eagles used their stingy defense to beat Northern Illinois, 42-25. In that contest, the Huskies scored just four points in the first half and converted on 8-of-61 field goals, including holding NIU to just 1-of-33 3-pointers in the game. The Huskies 13.1 percent field goal percentage was the lowest in NCAA history since the shot clock was implemented. The season concluded with EMU winning two games in the MAC Tournament for the first time since the 1997-98 season to reach the quarterfinals.

After Murphy was hired on April 21, 2011, he and his staff worked tirelessly to implent his defensive philosophy and begin the process of reviving the EMU men’s basketball program. During Murphy’s inaugural season, 2011-12, the Eagles won Eastern’s first-ever MAC West Division Championship.

For his efforts in leading the team to that West championship, Murphy was  named MAC Coach of the Year and Co-Coach of the Year in the NCAA District 14 Division I ranks by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC).

Coach Murphy has been on the staff of two outstanding college basketball programs and was also a highly successful high school head coach in Detroit, leading Crockett to the Class B State Championship in 2000-01 and was the associate head coach on the staff of the Detroit Central High School team that won the Class A state title in 1997-98.

Murphy took over the EMU job with a strong understanding of high school basketball in the state of Michigan. He spent  six years coaching in the Detroit Public School League (1996-2002), four as the head boys basketball coach at Detroit Crockett Technical High School.

A graduate of Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio, Murphy was a two-year starter on the basketball team and the team’s Defensive Player of the Year as a senior.

After graduating from Central State, Murphy returned to his hometown of Detroit to begin his coaching career at Detroit Central High School as the associate head coach in 1996-98.  Central won the state Class A championship in 1997-98 after finishing runner-up in 1996-97.

Murphy then moved over to become the head boys basketball coach at Crockett H.S. and after his first team posted a 5-13 mark, the Rockets improved to win three consecutive Class B District titles and captured the state championship in 2000-01.  His Crockett teams had a 64-27 record and he was named All-Metro Coach of the Year by the Detroit Free Press in 2000-01.

From Crockett, Murphy joined the Kent State University staff for two seasons, 2002-03 and 2003-04, and the teams turned in back-to-back 22-9 seasons on the way to two Mid-American Conference East Division crowns. Both teams were invited to the National Invitation Tournament (NIT).

After that successful two-year stint as an assistant for the Golden Flashes, Murphy joined Head Coach Jim Boeheim’s Syracuse University men’s basketball program as an assistant.  During his seven years on the staff, the Orange recorded a 180-67 overall record and played in the post season every year, with five NCAA appearances and two NIT stops.

A native of Detroit, Murphy attended Mumford High School where he lettered in both football and basketball, earning All-State honors in football.

He and his wife, TeNesha, have one son, Robert II (6) and a daughter, Ryann (3).

 

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