Notre Dame

When Pat Murphy was hired to be the University of Notre Dame’s baseball coach on June 11th, 1987, he took over a team that posted a combined 65-80 record its three previous seasons.  Building the program from the ground up with the support of only four full scholarships, Murphy guided the Irish to an average of 46 wins over seven reasons and rejuvenated the pride in the program.

Murphy grew up a fan of the Irish — sometimes hitchhiking from New York to South Bend to attend Notre Dame football games.   Now, at just 30-years-old, he had led the University to a school-record 48 wins in 1989 and the Irish garnered their first NCAA tournament appearance in 19 years.  Murphy snared his first of three Midwestern Collegiate Conference Coach of the Year Awards.  It was a sign of what was to come.

In 1990, the Irish finished with a 46-12 record (.793 – fourth best in the nation).

Coach Murphy’s team played their first 27 games on the road in 1991 (beating national powers Texas, Miami and eventual national champion LSU) and posted 46 wins.  In 1992, 1993 and 1994 the Irish won the MCC title and each year were within a game of going to Omaha for the College World Series.

Baseball America labeled the Irish “the nation’s fasted rising program.”

When Murphy left Notre Dame for the Arizona State job in 1995, he had compiled a 318-116-1 record (.732).  He was the first head coach at Notre Dame to leave for another college head coaching job.

Pat Murphy at the Kingdome chatting with batboy and future Sun Devil outfielder Colin Curtis (#9)