Bio

Chris Murphy, a well-respected and renowed coaching veteran of over 20 years, a 1999 graduate of Shawnee State University, and a 159-game winner as a head coach on the high school scene, enters his fourth season coaching the goalkeepers on the Shawnee State staff in 2024.

Murphy, who graduated after a successful four-year playing career at Sault Ste. Marie (Mich.) High School as a goalkeeper -- where he started in each of those seasons -- graduated and later became the head coach of the program at just 18 years of age in 1994, all while balancing playing as a goalkeeper and fullback in the Semi-Pro Canadian Premier League from 1992 to 1995.

Upon getting an opportunity to play at Shawnee State, Murphy relocated to the Southern Ohio area -- where he has been ever since.

Following his playing career, which included a season as Shawnee State's starting goalkeeper, Murphy became the head coach of the Waverly men's soccer program for 10 seasons -- and built the Waverly program up to respectability, leading the Tigers to nine straight winning campaigns over that time with four Southern Ohio Conference (SOC) Championships, four OHSAA Southeast Sectional Championships and four OHSAA District Semifinal appearances. Waverly finished as a district runner-up in 2002 under Murphy's guidance and earned a state ranking, going as high as No. 9 in the OSSCA (Ohio Scholastic Soccer Coaches Association) Poll. The longtime Waverly educator was also named as the OHSAA Southeast District Coach of the Year in 2001 and 2003 and was named as the Southern Ohio Conference's Coach of the Year in 2003 and 2008.

After winning 110 games with the Waverly men's soccer program, Murphy stepped away from coaching soccer following the 2008 season -- but got reinvolved in 2015 as movement ultimately led to the development of a girls soccer program at Waverly.

While there, Murphy won 49 more games in a head coaching span that ranged from 2015 to 2020, with Murphy nabbing four consecutive winning seasons (2017, 2018, 2019, 2020), four consecutive OHSAA Southeast Sectional Final appearances and two Southern Ohio Conference Championships during that span. Waverly ultimately won a OHSAA Sectional Championship in 2018 and advanced to the OHSAA District Semifinals that same year with the Lady Tigers. Murphy ultimately won the Southern Ohio Conference's Head Coach of the Year and the OHSAA Southeast District Coach of the Year Award three times, as well as the SOC's Assistant Coach of the Year once.

Along with his success from a wins and losses standpoint, Murphy's teams earned six consecutive OHSAA Sportsmanship Awards, and the veteran head coach was awarded with the OHSAA's State Sportsmanship, Integrity, and Ethics Award in 2015.

His overall combined record at Waverly, between the boys and girls programs, stands at 159-91-16.

In addition to his previous successes at Waverly, Murphy proved to be instrumental in the development of Julie Derenemensil, who was moved from a defensive player to keeper during the second half of the 2023 season. Her play and Murphy's tutelage helped Shawnee State reach the River States Conference Semifinals -- just the second such conference semifinal appearance in program history.

Additionally, Murphy was instrumental in the recruitment of Harlee Brand, who has already played a major role in her freshman campaign between the posts.

Murphy ultimately has served as the men's and women's assistant since 2021 and was conducting operations as a head coach in the interim for both programs from April 15, 2024 to August 10, 2024.

In addition to his bachelor's degree in natural science at Shawnee State, Murphy was able to obtain a master's degree in educational leadership from Dayton in 2002. His daughter, Breanna, played under her father at Waverly and later played for the Shawnee State women's soccer program before graduating in 2023 with an exercise science degree.