D3hoops.com: Notables

Jay Murphy, the longtime head men’s basketball coach at Alfred, will soon begin a new chapter in his coaching career when he takes over the reins of the school's women’s team.

Murphy has been appointed head coach of the Lady Saxons, effective May 31. He will replace Heidi Metzer, who resigned earlier this month after three seasons as Alfred’s head women’s basketball coach.

The school will soon begin a nationwide search for Murphy’s successor, said James Moretti, AU athletic director. He said the decision to appoint Murphy coach of the women’s team was an easy one.

“I can’t think of a better candidate,” Moretti commented. “I’m excited to have Jay rebuild the women’s program. He’s well-qualified and I think he’ll do a terrific job.”

“I’m very excited about the opportunity,” said Murphy. “I love working at Alfred University. This is my home.”

Murphy has coached the AU men’s basketball for 13 seasons and is 210-421 (.333) in 25 years as a collegiate head coach. During his tenure, AU has made one NCAA tournament appearance, in 1997. That season, his second at AU, Murphy was named Presidents’ Athletic Conference Coach of the Year after leading the Saxons to the PAC title. In 2000-01, Murphy was named Empire 8 Conference Coach of the Year after leading the Saxons to a 14-11 record (8-6 Empire 8) and a berth in the ECAC Upstate tournament.

Prior to taking the head men’s job at Alfred before the 1995-96 season, Murphy, a 1981 SUNY Brockport graduate, was head coach at Clarkson for 12 seasons. While at Clarkson, he was twice named Empire Athletic Association Coach of the Year.

Murphy said he sought the women’s job at Alfred because he felt it was time for him to take on a new coaching challenge. “Sometimes change is good, and I felt like this was the time in my life to take this opportunity,” he said.

Murphy has experience coaching AAU girls’ teams, which have included his daughter, Lyndsay, a standout at Hornell High School who started at point guard as a freshman at St. John Fisher this past season. He’ll now have the chance to guide an AU women’s team that returns all but two players from a young squad that went 2-21 (1-15 Empire 8) last season. “We have some good young players coming back and some good recruits coming in. I’m ready to get going,” he said.

Murphy enjoyed his time as AU men’s coach and feels the team will have success in the future. All but two members of this year’s roster were freshmen or sophomores, meaning a solid nucleus of players will return in 2008-09. Next season will also mark the return of sophomore forward Pat Smithgall, who missed the 2007-08 season with a knee injury suffered in the fall. Smithgall was one of the top rebounders in the nation as a freshman in 2006-07 and the Saxons missed his contributions to the inside game this past year.

“We were really hurt by Pat’s absence,” Murphy said of the 6-6 forward. “When he comes back, it will make a huge difference. We haven’t left the cupboard bare,” for the next men’s coach.

“I thoroughly enjoyed my time as men’s coach,” he said. “We had some rough spots, but we had some very good years as well, going to the NCAAs and the ECACs.”

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