BURLINGTON, Mass. – Tim Murphy, The Thomas Stephenson Family Head Coach for Harvard Football, and Thor Griffith earned two of the top awards from the Gridiron Club of Boston Monday night at the Burlington Marriott Hotel.
 
Murphy, who recently completed his 30^th season in Cambridge, was named the Club's Head Coach of the Year at the FBS/FCS level after leading the Crimson to an 8-2 record (5-2 Ivy League) and the program's 18^th conference championship. En route to his 10^th Ivy title, which tied him for the most by a head coach in league history, Murphy became the Ivy League's all-time leader in conference victories and won his 200^th game at Harvard.
 
Griffith, meanwhile, was named the recipient of the 85^th annual Bulger Lowe Award, which is presented to the best players on offense and defense in the FBS/FCS. The Portsmouth, New Hampshire, native took home the defensive honor, with Holy Cross quarterback Matthew Sluka earning the offensive accolade. The Bulger Lowe Award is the nation's second oldest nationally recognized college football award after the Heisman Trophy.
 
A defensive lineman, Griffith finished 2023 with 55 tackles, including 11.0 for a loss, and 3.5 sacks. One of the most feared defensive linemen in the country, Griffith was named an All-American by Phil Steele and FCS Football Central.
 
In addition to winning eight games in 2023, including a 38-28 win over then-No. 5 Holy Cross, Harvard spent nine weeks in the top-25 polls, marking its longest such streak since 2016. The Crimson were ranked as high as No. 17 in the AFCA Coaches Top 25 and No. 18 in the Stats Perform Top 25.