Husson announced it is promoting Sean Murphy to the head football
coach position. The move came shortly after Niles Nelson announced
that he had been fired after two seasons.
Husson went 1-9 this past season, opening the year with three consecutive losses to strong programs, Otterbein, Springfield and Salisbury, by the combined score of 173-7. In 2008, Husson finished the regular season 7-2, 7-0 against Division III teams, but did not get a playoff bid because of its low strength of schedule.
Murphy served as associate head coach for the 2010 season and
will take the helm effective immediately. He will continue to serve
as assistant athletic director.
“It is a great honor for me to accept the head football
coaching position at Husson. I would like to express my deepest
gratitude to president Bob Clark and athletic director Bob Reasso
for having faith in me to present such a wonderful opportunity and
challenge,” Murphy said. “My family and I have been
welcomed by the Husson community and I cannot overstate our
enthusiasm about coming back to our home state of Maine to further
develop an evolving football program.”
Murphy has a broad-based Division III coaching resume, having
coached at Dickinson, Bowdoin and Plymouth State. At Dickinson, he
served as co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach. Murphy
helped Dickinson to an NCAA playoff appearance in 2006, as well as
two Centennial Conference championships (2004, 2006). In 2007,
Murphy helped coach his team to an ECAC Southwest Bowl
Championship. Under his tutelage, six student athletes received
All-Conference honors as well as Centennial Conference Defensive
Player of the Year, All-American, Aztec Bowl participant and
Gagliardi Trophy finalist. Murphy also served as head football
coach at the Bullis School in Potomac, Md.
Murphy said: “I have great faith in the young men who are in
our program already and while we will make concerted recruiting
efforts, it is imperative that we take care of our current
student-athletes and make them better. We are creating not only a
competitive football program, but also a family. As such, we are
looking to attract talented student-athletes who are committed to
building a unique environment for growth and
competition.”
“We are delighted to announce Sean as our head football
coach. Sean is a man of great enthusiasm, integrity, and passion
for his players and coaching,” Reasso said. “We decided
to move very quickly with this decision because a great deal of
football recruiting takes place in the next couple of months. Sean
and his staff are now positioned to make the most of this
opportunity by getting on the road tomorrow to spread their new
vision for our program. I have great confidence in Sean and his
ability to foster a strong culture of student success and not only
turn our program around, but to take it to new heights.”
The Eliot, Maine, native attended Plymouth State, where he earned
an undergraduate degree in physical education and lettered all four
years in football and lacrosse. Murphy earned First-Team
All-Conference football honors in 1998 and 1999. In lacrosse, he
was First-Team All-League as a senior tri-captain. Murphy received
a masters degree from California (Pa.) in exercise science and
health promotion and is also certified as a strength and
conditioning specialist.