2008 ALABAMA SOFTBALL Crimson Tide Softball Head Coach Patrick Murphy Even more impressively, Murphy has led the program to a surge of popularity among Tide fans. Alabama has become a regular atop the nation’s attendance standings, with an ever-growing group of loyal fans who fill the stands at the Alabama softball facility throughout the season. In 2007, the team set a new benchmark by selling over 1,200 season tickets and has already eclipsed that impressive mark in 2008. Those numbers are what every softball coach in the nation would do anything to achieve and stand as a tribute both to what Murphy and his team have achieved and to the willingness of Tide fans to support a program that does things right, both on and off the field. Now in his 10th season as the head coach of the Crimson Tide, Mur- phy has turned his program into an absolute model of consistency, having guided Alabama to nine consecutive NCAA tournaments, in- cluding appearances in the 2000, 2003, 2005 and 2006 Women’s College World Series. In 2006, Murphy and his staff were named the NFCA South Region Coaching Staff of the Year for the third time after leading Alabama to its first SEC Championship and fourth trip to the Women’s College World Series. The team finished with a 54-11 record and a 25-4 mark in the SEC. Since taking over prior to the 1999 season, he has compiled a win- ning record in all nine seasons. He has won 45 or more games in each of the past eight years with a program-best 66 victories in 2000 and 63 Patrick Murphy wins in 2005. Murphy has also won over 20 games in conference play in seven of his nine seasons in the SEC. The 2006 campaign marked the second time he had posted 25 conference victories, matching the 2000 Born: November 28, 1965 season in which the Tide went 25-5. Birthplace: Waterloo, Iowa Murphy’s ability to build and maintain the impressive level of con- High School: Fayette High School sistency places him among the nation’s elite. He has a career mark of College: Northern Iowa, 1988 B.S. in History Education; 495-169 in 10 seasons, including one year at Northwest Missouri State. His winning percentage of .747 ranks him sixth among active coaches Southwestern Louisiana, 1992, MS in Mass Communication Coaching Career who have coached at least five years at the Division I level. He has a Head Softball Coach, University of Alabama, 1998 - present .748 winning percentage as the head coach at the University of Ala- Assistant Softball Coach, University of Alabama, 1996 - 1998 bama and has been just as successful in the always competitive SEC Interim Head Softball Coach, Northwest Missouri State, 1995 with a 178-61 (.745) record. It is his desire for perfection that has led Head Baseball Coach, Independence (IA) HS, 1992 - 1995 the Tide to the upper echelon of the softball world. Murphy’s desire Assistant Softball Coach, Southwestern Louisiana, 1990 - 1994 and hard-nosed work ethic has led the Tide program to as high as No. 1 in the national rankings, reached for the first time in program history Head Baseball Coach, Sumner (IA) HS, 1988 - 1990 during the 2007 regular season. The Tide has finished ranked in the top 10 in the final polls in each of the past three campaigns. In today’s world of collegiate athletics, where coaches change jobs Entering his 17th season as a collegiate coach, Murphy officially ac- and take on new programs with increasing regularity, not many can quired the title of Alabama’s head coach on July 12, 1998. He spent the claim to have been there at the beginning. Not many can say they were two previous years as an assistant coach on the Crimson Tide coaching there at the origin of a program, having been there from the very in- staff. In his first season as the head coach he took the team to its first ception to where it stands today. And certainly nobody can claim to NCAA Tournament with a 39-26 record. The Tide lost to No. 1 UCLA have brought a program further, and in shorter time, than Crimson and No. 23 Missouri in the Los Angeles Regional. Tide head softball coach Patrick Murphy. In his second season, he took the program to the next step, leading From a humble start to becoming a model of success and consisten- Alabama to its first-ever Women’s College World Series berth after the cy, Murphy has taken Alabama to the top of the college softball world. best regular season in school history. That 2000 team won a school re- Beginning with his days as an assistant in the very first years of the cord 66 games (66-14) and 25 SEC games (25-5). They finished ranked Alabama softball program, Murphy has been the face of a team that in the top 10 for the first time in school history after earning a 6-4 vic- has grown under his leadership to become one of the most consistently tory over DePaul for the school’s first win in the WCWS. successful programs in the nation. Alabama continued its success in 2001 when they hosted the NCAA The accomplishments are there for everyone to see. Four College Regional for the first time. The Tide ended the season ranked No. 10 World Series berths, an SEC title and nine straight NCAA Tournament with a 50-11 record and 24-6 SEC mark. In 2002 they went 46-21 (22-8 bids are just a few of the team honors Murphy has brought to Tusca- SEC) and advanced to the NCAA Tournament. loosa during his tenure. Murphy took the Tide back to the Women’s College World Series in The individual honors are just as impressive. Tide players have 2003. After winning his first SEC Championship as a head coach, the earned All-American honors no fewer than 43 times under Murphy’s team swept the NCAA Regional to advance to the WCWS where they watch. He has tutored 44 All-SEC performers and over 30 All-Region lost two close games, 3-2, to No. 1 Arizona and 6-3 (9) to No. 4 Okla- honorees. His teams have been just as successful in the classroom, with homa. Alabama finished ranked No. 7 with a 49-21 record (22-8 SEC). five Academic All-Americans and 63 Academic All-SEC players to his credit. 22 2008 ALABAMA SOFTBALL The 2004 team posted a 45-20 mark but had to midnight so that is when they knew they had travel to No. 4 UCLA for the NCAA Regional to go home. and lost twice to the Bruins. However, the next “They taught me so many things about the season they were back at the Women’s College game of baseball. They played because they World Series. The 2005 squad tallied the second loved it so much.” most wins in school history with a 63-15 record It took just two years for Murphy to be- and 23-7 SEC ledger. They won the school’s come a success as a head coach. After leading third SEC Tournament Championship with a the Sumner High School boys to a 22-3 record 2-0 victory over Georgia and swept the NCAA in his first year as head coach, he led the Aces Regional to earn the right to travel to College to the state championship game the next sea- Station for a two-game sweep over No. 5 Texas son. A&M in the Super Regional. In the WCWS, they Following a short stay at Sumner, Mur- earned a 12-inning 2-1 victory over DePaul be- phy continued his education as a graduate fore they were eliminated with a 4-0 loss to Ten- student at Southwestern Louisiana. While nessee. at USL, he broke into the collegiate coach- A product of Waterloo, Iowa, one could al- ing ranks as an assistant softball coach while most say he was born to be around the game finishing his master’s degree in communica- of baseball. In the third grade, young Murphy tions in 1992. put on his first baseball glove and took to the “The head coach at USL knew I had little league fields. Five years later, fresh out of coached baseball in Iowa and she told me the eighth grade, he made Fayette (IA) High about the job,” Murphy remembers. “It only School’s varsity baseball squad and played the paid six thousand dollars, but I was in grad Murphyʼs Portfolio next five years for five different coaches. school there and she asked me if I wanted After only nine seasons as head coach, Patrick “I always knew I wanted to be a coach,” he another duty. So I said ‘Sure, I’ll try it.’ That’s Murphy has achieved unbelievable success: said. “My high school was such a small school where it all started and I just got hooked.” that I got to play varsity baseball in eighth grade Prospering with the Ragin’ Cajuns through — Four College World Series appearances and, every year, I had a different coach and, ev- a five-year record (1990-94) of 239-46, includ- (2000, 2003, 2005, 2006) ery year, it was something different I learned, ing a trip to the 1993 Women’s College World — Nine straight NCAA Tournament appearances either good or bad, from that coach. My senior Series on the shoulders of former player and (2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001, year, I tried to put everything together I had current Alabama assistant coach Alyson Ha- 2000, 1999) learned from all the different coaches and came betz, Murphy moonlighted as head coach of up with a good coaching philosophy.” the Independence (IA) high school baseball — 2006 SEC Championship After hanging up his spikes on his prep ca- team from 1992-95.