By any measure, Tim Murphy led Harvard's storied football program to its most prosperous era since the early 20th century. He completed his 30th season in 2023 as The Thomas Stephenson Family Head Coach for Harvard Football. Murphy announced his retirement on January 17, 2024.
One of the game’s finest teachers and motivators over the last quarter-century, Murphy finished his career as the all-time winningest coach (overall wins, conference wins) in Ivy League history. His Harvard teams captured 10 Ivy League championships (1997, 2001, ’04, ’07, ’08, ’11, ‘13, ‘14, ‘15, '23), which is tied for the most in Ivy history.
Murphy was the first Harvard coach since the Ivy League was formed in 1956 to lead the Crimson to three unbeaten, untied seasons in his tenure (2001, ‘04, ‘14). Having previously coached five seasons at Cincinnati and two at Maine, Murphy owned career records of 232-134-1 overall, 200-89 with the Crimson and 19-10 in The Game, the annual rivalry tilt between Harvard and Yale. Harvard stood as one of the leading programs in the nation since Murphy came to Cambridge prior to the 1994 season. Here are some of the major highlights:
- Harvard football is No. 6 in the nation since 2001 in winning percentage in NCAA Football Division I (All schools entering 2023): 159-50, .761; 1. Ohio State, 2. Boise State, 3. Alabama, 4. Oklahoma, 5. Georgia, 6. Harvard
- Ivy League-record 10-time conference champion (1997, 2001, '04, '07, '08, '11, '13, '14, '15, '23)
- Three undefeated seasons (2001, '04, '14)
- Winningest coach in Ivy League Football history (overall and conference wins)
- 200-89 (.692) Harvard record
- 141-65 (.684) Ivy League record
- 224-132-1 (.629) overall record (Maine, Cincinnati, Harvard)
- 19-10 (.655) in The Game, the annual rivalry tilt between Harvard and Yale
- Defeated Yale for program-record nine-straight years (2007-15)
- Topped Yale, 45-27, at Fenway Park in 2018
- Harvard capped undefeated 10-0 season in 2014 with ESPN's College GameDay on campus for “The Game” vs Yale
- Eight-time New England Coach of the Year at Harvard (Maine: 1987; Harvard: 1997, 2001, '04, '11, '14, '16, '23)
- Five-time finalist for Eddie Robinson Award for the top coach in the Football Championship Subdivision (2001, '04, '11, '14, '23)
- Coached 158 All-Ivy League first-team selections, 11 Ivy Players of the Year and seven Ivy Rookies of the Year
- Recruited and coached more than 30 Harvard players who have signed NFL contracts
- Led Harvard to Ivy League-record 16-consecutive winning seasons from 2001-16
- Led Maine to the 1987 Yankee Conference championship/First FCS playoffs appearance in history
- As youngest major college coach in nation (32) rebuilt University of Cincinnati program from 1-10 (No. 122 Sagarin Ratings) to 8-3 in 1993 (25th in nation/tied school record for wins)
- Past President of American Football Coaches Association
- Education/College: Four-Year Starter/All-New England at Outside Linebacker - Springfield College and holds Bachelor's, Master's and Honorary Doctorate; Inducted into Springfield College Athletic Hall of Fame in 2007
- Accepted to Kellogg Graduate School of Business at Northwestern University and Colgate-Darden Graduate School of Business at The University of Virginia - 1988
Tim Murphy with his family (from left) Conor, Grace, Martha, and Molly.
