Former Anteater basketball standout returns to UCI as assistant
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Steve Virgen
Tod Murphy will return to his alma mater as an assistant men’s
basketball coach for UC Irvine, head coach Pat Douglass said
Thursday. Murphy’s appointment is effective May 1.
UCI had a vacant assistant position open after former assistant
Len Stevens resigned for personal reasons in the middle of last
season. The Anteaters might be without another assistant, as
associate head coach Todd Lee interviewed for the head coach position
with UC Davis Thursday.
Murphy, the career-record holder for games played with 117 and the
No. 2 player in points (1,178) and rebounds (837), is excited to join
the UCI staff, which also includes Mike Johnson.
“This is an opportunity to return to UCI and let everyone know
that I plan to be part of this program for a long time,” Murphy said
in a press release issued by the school. “I am excited about the
opportunity and am looking forward to helping Coach Douglass and his
program continue the success that has been achieved over the last
several years. I always tell people that my ultimate dream job is to
be the head coach at UCI and I am looking forward to joining the
program.”
Murphy said he also wanted to make the move from UC Riverside to
UCI for his family. He and his wife, Kelly, have a daughter, Annie
Jane who was born last week, and they live in Irvine. Murphy’s
brother, Tim, is an assistant coach at Big West rival Cal Poly San
Luis Obispo. The new UCI assistant coach seemingly longed for the
opportunity to return to the Anteaters for quite some time now.
Murphy assisted in recruiting and coaching the post players at UC
Riverside, where he worked at since Sept. 2001. He was instrumental
in the recruitment of Nate Carter, the 6-foot-7 guard who earned Big
West Freshman of the Year honors this past season. Murphy also helped
develop the progression of Vili Morton, a 6-8 forward who redshirted
the 2002-03 season, but is expected to return next season as one of
the premier players of the conference.
“[Murphy] knows UC Irvine and he’s been living in the area,”
Douglass said. “We’re just really excited to have him join our
staff.”
Murphy, 39, graduated from UCI in 1986. One of the most prolific
players in UCI basketball history, he was the CIF Player of the Year
at Lakewood High in 1981-82 and then competed for the Anteaters from
1982-86 under Coach Bill Mulligan. Murphy, who was selected by the
Seattle Supersonics in the third round (53rd overall) of the 1986 NBA
draft, was inducted into UCI’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 2000.
Murphy enjoyed an 11-year professional career, which included time
in the CBA, Spain, the Minnesota Timberwovles, the Houston Rockets,
Italy and Japan. He served as an assistant coach at Capistrano Valley
High before joining the staff at UCR.
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