After three seasons at Dakota Wesleyan University, Shane Murphy is resigning as head coach of the Tiger men’s basketball program, athletic director Curt Hart announced today.
Murphy, who was hired to take over the men’s basketball program at Dakota Wesleyan in summer 2010, came to DWU after a two-year hiatus from coaching. During those two years, Murphy – who coached at the University of Sioux Falls from 2001-08 – worked as a recruiter for the Principal Financial Group in Sioux Falls, S.D. He is leaving Dakota Wesleyan to return to business in the private sector once again.
“We feel very lucky to have had Shane coaching our men’s basketball program for the past three seasons,” Hart said. “We wish to thank him for everything he has done for our program and for the university, and we wish him nothing but the best in the future.”
In three seasons at the helm, Murphy guided Dakota Wesleyan to a 53-41 overall record and a 28-30 mark in the Great Plains Athletic Conference. The Tigers went 24-9 overall and 12-6 and tied for third in the league in his first year as head coach. That same year, Dakota Wesleyan made it to the NAIA Men’s Basketball National Championships in Branson, Mo., for the fifth straight season and went 1-1. This past season, the Tigers went 14-17 overall and 9-11 in the GPAC. Dakota Wesleyan finished eighth in the league and lost in the first round of the league’s postseason tournament.
Murphy coached nine All-GPAC athletes in three seasons, including two first-team selections and two players-of-the-year. Brady Wiebe earned All-GPAC First Team and the league’s player-of-the-year honors in 2011, and Jalen Voss was named the GPAC co-Freshman-of-the-Year in 2012. Voss also earned first-team honors as a sophomore in 2013. Both athletes were named All-Americans under Murphy’s guidance: Wiebe earned All-American First Team accolades in 2011 and Voss earned All-American Honorable Mention status this past season.
Prior to coaching at USF, Murphy played and coached at the University of South Dakota. He was an assistant coach for the Coyotes from 1995-2201. He started his playing career at Drake University, but transferred to USD after two seasons. He earned all-conference, all-region and All-America Honorable Mention honors in 1994.
“Shane’s leadership left an important imprint on the student athletes who worked with him,” DWU Provost and Executive Vice President Amy Novak added. “We greatly value what Shane has done for student athletes at DWU and wish him the best in his future endeavors. DWU remains committed to finding a strong replacement who values the university commitment to building champions of character.”
Hart, along with Associate Athletic Director Jon Hart, will form a committee and begin the search process immediately.
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