Background
Jay Murphy was appointed Alfred University’s head women’s basketball coach in May 2008. He took over the women’s team after 13 seasons as head men’s basketball coach at AU.
In his first season as the AU women’s coach, in 2008-09, he led the team to a 12-13 record, which was the fourth-greatest improvement from the previous season in all of Division III. Alfred’s 6-10 record in the Empire 8 was the school’s best ever conference mark.
During his tenure as AU men’s coach, Murphy led the Saxons to the ECAC Upstate New York Tournament during the 2000-01 season, where the Saxons lost in the first round. He also led the team to the ECAC Upstate New York Tournament during 1998-99 season, and Alfred advanced to the championship game. Murphy led the Saxons to President's Athletic Conference title and the program's first NCAA Tournament appearance in eight years during the 1996-97 season and was recognized for his efforts by being named PAC Coach of the Year. The Alfred basketball teams now compete in the Empire 8 Conference.
Prior to coming to Alfred, Murphy spent 12 years as the head men's basketball coach at Clarkson University. At Clarkson, he was named Coach of the Year by the Empire Athletic Association after the 1988-89 season and was Co-Coach of the year in 1983-84, his inaugural season with the Golden Knights.
Murphy was honored in 2000 when he was inducted to the Sports Hall of Fame at his high school alma mater, Geneva High School, for his accomplishments in basketball. The MVP of Cayuga County Community College's varsity basketball team during the 1976-77 season, Murphy went on to earn his bachelor's degree in physical education at SUNY Brockport in 1981. He received his master's degree in physical education from Ithaca College in 1982, where he was an assistant varsity coach and head junior varsity coach for the Bombers. He returned to Brockport as an assistant coach for the 1982-83 season before taking the head coaching spot at Clarkson a year later.
Murphy lives in Almond with his wife Molly and their two children, daughter Lyndsay and son Kyle
