Jason Murdock Profile 20091020
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JASON MURDOCK HEAD COACH, VARSITY BOYS’ BASKETBALL TEAM Jason joined the Pingry faculty in 2007 and that season became Head Coach of the Varsity Boys’ Basketball Team after previously serving as an Assistant Coach in 2005. He is also currently an Assistant Coach for the Varsity Boys’ Football Team and for the Junior Varsity Girls’ Softball Team. Jason teaches history in the Middle School, is a Peer Leadership Advisor, and also serves as an Admissions Counselor. Prior to joining the Pingry basketball program, Jason was the Head Coach of the Varsity Basketball Team at New Brunswick High School. Upon taking the head coaching position at Pingry, his first season produced a team that qualified for the state tournament and reached the quarterfinals of the Somerset County tournament. Jason graduated from Providence College with a degree in Social Sciences. As a member of the Friars basketball team, Jason played at the pinnacle of Division I competition against future NBA stars such as Ray Allen, Allen Iverson, Stephon Marbury, Mike Bibby, and Jason Kidd. His performances contributed to helping his team win the Big East Championship during his freshman season, and reaching the Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight rounds of the NCAA Tournament in other seasons. Jason was named Big East Player of the Week during his sophomore season, and was named to the Athletic Director’s Academic Team in his senior year. Upon his graduation from Providence, Jason had the opportunity to fulfill a lifelong dream of playing professional basketball. Over a period of several years, Jason played in Columbia (where he was a First-Team All-Star), Poland (where he was 2nd in the league in scoring), China (where he matched up against future NBA All-Star Yao Ming), and Portugal (where he averaged 17 points and 7 assists per game). In addition to allowing him to “live the dream” as a professional basketball player, these experiences allowed him to gain a better perspective about life while sharing and celebrating cultural differences. Jason endured a difficult period when his performances suffered and then his playing career ended due to injuries. Jason feels all of these experiences taught him about self- awareness, social responsibility, and demonstrating quality character. He believes that these lessons enable him to work effectively with Pingry students. Not surprisingly, Jason was also an outstanding basketball player in high school—earning 4 Varsity letters at Bridgewater-Raritan High School. As a senior, he earned McDonald’s All-American Honorable Mention status and was Central Jersey Player of the Year. He was named to the New Jersey All-State teams in both his junior and senior years. Jason’s coaching philosophy reflects his own life experiences. He emphasizes team results over individual goals, and he helps his players recognize the value of hard work and determination in combination with smart play. For more information, contact Jason Murdock at [email protected]. .