American Football Database
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Fred J. Murphy
File:Fred Murphy.jpg
Murphy in 1914
Sport(s)Football, basketball, baseball
Biographical details
Born(1886-02-04)February 4, 1886
Southville, Massachusetts
DiedDecember 19, 1956(1956-12-19) (aged 70)
Miami, Florida
Playing career
Position(s)Halfback (football)
Guard (basketball)
Center fielder (baseball)
Head coaching record
Overall40–37–4 (football)
36–45 (basketball)
20–31–2 (baseball)

Frederick James Murphy (February 4, 1886 – December 19, 1956)[1] was an American football, basketball, and baseball player and coach and college athletics administrator. Murphy served as the head football coach at Northwestern University (1914–1918), University of Denver (1920–1922), and University of Kentucky (1924–1926), compiling a career football coaching record of 40–37–4. He was also the head basketball coach at Manhattan College (1912–1913) and at Northwestern (1914–1917), and the head baseball coach at Northwestern (1914–1916) and Kentucky (1925–1926). In addition, Murphy served as Northwestern's athletic director from 1913 to 1918.

Playing career and family[]

Murphy played football, basketball, and baseball at Yale University. He was a halfback in football, a guard in basketball, and a center fielder in baseball. Murphy was a nephew of Mike Murphy and Yale Murphy.[2]

Coaching career[]

Northwestern[]

Murphy was the 12th head coach at Northwestern University and he held that position for five seasons, from 1914 until 1918. His coaching record at Northwestern was 16–16–1. This ranks him 11th at Northwestern in total wins and tenth at Northwestern in winning percentage.[3]

University of Denver[]

Murphy returned to coaching in the 1920 season to coach at the University of Denver, a coaching position he held for three seasons until 1922. At Denver, he compiled a record of 12–7–2.[4] His best season at Denver was 1922, when the team's record was 6–1–1,[5] second only to his 6–1 season at Northwestern in 1916.[6]

Kentucky[]

Murphy's next move was to become the head coach at the University of Kentucky from 1924 to 1926. There he compiled a record of 12–14–1.

Head coaching record[]

Football[]

Year Team Overall Conference Standing Bowl/playoffs
Northwestern Purple (Western Conference / Big Ten Conference) (1914–1918)
1914 Northwestern 1–6 0–6 9th
1915 Northwestern 2–5 0–5 9th
1916 Northwestern 6–1 4–1 2nd
1917 Northwestern 5–2 3–2 T–3rd
1918 Northwestern 2–2–1 1–1 6th
Northwestern: 16–16–1 8–15
Denver Pioneers (Rocky Mountain Conference) (1920–1922)
1920 Denver 2–4 2–4 6th
1921 Denver 4–2–1 2–2–1 T–4th
1922 Denver 6–1–1 3–1–1 3rd
Denver: 12–7–2 7–6–2
Kentucky Wildcats (Southern Conference) (1924–1926)
1924 Kentucky 4–5 2–3 T–14th
1925 Kentucky 6–3 4–2 7th
1926 Kentucky 2–6–1 1–4–1 T–19th
Kentucky: 12–14–1 7–9–1
Total: 40–37–4
Indicates BCS bowl, Bowl Alliance or Bowl Coalition game.

References[]

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