Alan Murray Named University of Washington Head Menβs Golf Coach
August 10, 2016 | Men's Golf
SEATTLE β Alan Murray has been named the new head men's golf coach at the University of Washington, director of athletics Jennifer Cohen announced Wednesday. Murray comes to the UW from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and will become the 10th head coach in the history of the Huskies' program, contingent on a successful background check.
"I am extremely excited to welcome Alan to Seattle," Cohen said. "The impressive body of work he put together in a short period of time at UAB speaks for itself, and after visiting with him we knew he would be a great fit here at Washington."
Considered a rising star within the collegiate golf community, Murray earned Golfweek's 2014 National Coach of the Year honors, and led the Blazers to their first-ever NCAA Regional Title in 2015.
"I am very excited to have the chance to be the head coach at UW, and I can't wait to get started in Seattle," Murray said. "I am very grateful to UAB for six great years. There is something very special about UW golf, and it is my duty to keep the momentum moving in the right direction, graduating our guys and challenging for the top titles in college golf."
Murray inherits a program that has built a national reputation for excellence in a region not typically associated with elite golf. The Huskies have finished in the top 10 at the NCAA Championships seven times in the last 13 years, winning the Pac-12 title in 2005, 2009 and 2010. The Huskies have won NCAA Regional titles twice and finished second two other times this decade. UW men's golfers have won four national player of the year awards since 2010 and have had 25 golfers earn some level of All-America status since 2000.
"After speaking with dozens of individuals throughout the golf community, Alan's name continued to rise to the top as an incredibly well respected and high character coach," Cohen said. "When we visited with him, he spoke about his student-athlete experience as a driving reason for coaching, and I was impressed by his desire to build upon the tradition and history of Washington Men's Golf. Alan has a striking balance between a strong competitive nature and a steady approach to the game. In the time I spent learning more about Alan, I considered him to have a great deal of genuine humility and hunger to win. He has a tremendous passion for developing young men and I couldn't be more excited to have a coach of Alan's character represent the University of Washington."
Murray played college golf at Toledo from 1998-2002, earning All-MAC honors as a player and leading the Rockets to the 2002 MAC Championship. Following his collegiate career, the Ireland native competed on the European Challenge Tour and the Europro Tour. Murray began his collegiate coaching career as an assistant at UAB in 2011.
