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| Mike Murray |
Elmhurst and athletic director Glen Brittich have announced the hire of Mike Murray as the new Bluejays head coach.
A two-time Division III head football coach, and a former assistant at two other CCIW schools, Murray joins a program which has lost 28 of its past 30 games and which cut Jeff McDonald loose in November.
As an assistant, Murray's teams have had 100 All-CCIW honorees, 16 on the first team, and two CCIW Defensive Player of the Year recipients, and have won eight CCIW championships over 35 years.
"After a thoughtful, thorough and intensive search, the committee and I decided Mike was the right choice to lead our football program," Brittich said. "Mike has proven himself through multiple stops in the CCIW, and we welcome him and his loved ones to the Elmhurst family."
"I would like to thank Elmhurst University president Troy VanAken, Glen and the selection committee for giving me this tremendous opportunity to lead the Elmhurst University football program. I am excited to join the Bluejay family and the coaches in the athletic department," Murray said. "As a former player and coach in the CCIW, I have a great feel for the quality of programs that make up this conference, and look forward to representing Elmhurst University in this great league."
Murray most recently served as the associate head coach/defensive coordinator at Roosevelt University (formerly Robert Morris), a position he held since 2018. Last season, Murray helped the Lakers to a 7-3 overall record and their highest ranking in the NAIA Football Coaches Poll since 2017 (No. 15). Murray's defense ranked 20th in the NAIA in points per game (17.2), while nine members of his defense earned MSFA All-Midwest League honors.
After stops as a head coach at Dubuque (1997-2000) and Benedictine from 2001-02, Murray returned to Illinois Wesleyan to serve as the Titans' offensive coordinator. After two seasons on the offensive side of the ball, Murray transitioned into the defensive coordinator position at Illinois Wesleyan while also serving as the program's recruiting coordinator. In his second stint at his alma mater, Murray led 18 players to all-conference honors and garnered a pair of CCIW championships, in 2007 and 2009.
Dubuque went 4-36 in Murray's four seasons; Benedictine went 8-12.
Prior to coaching at Roosevelt/Robert Morris, Murray served as the defensive coordinator at North Central College for five seasons. Murray helped the Cardinals to a 49-9 overall record and a trio of CCIW championships in 2013, 2016 and 2017. Murray coached two D3football.com All-Americans in his time at North Central, and led his players to 16 First Team All-CCIW selections, including the 2013 Defensive Player of the Year in the conference.
Murray is a 1984 graduate of Illinois Wesleyan University, where he lettered all four years in both football and baseball, earning All-CCIW Honorable Mention honors in football in 1983 and all-conference honors in baseball in both 1983 and 1984.
Murray got his start in coaching at his alma mater, serving as the Titans' defensive coordinator for 10 seasons, from 1987-96. His players garnered 66 All-CCIW selections and he coached the league's co-Defensive Player of the Year in 1987. He also earned his first three CCIW championships with the Titans in 1992, 1994 and 1996.
Murray also served as a coach for the Bloomington Extreme of the Indoor Football League twice, once as the team's offensive coordinator in 2005 and as the head coach of the club from 2011-12. While in Bloomington, Murray also served as director of the Redbird 4 Life Club at Illinois State University.
In addition to his football coaching duties, Murray has previously served as the head coach for Illinois Wesleyan's track and field and men's golf programs from 1987-96 and the head men's golf coach at North Central in 2014-15.