Fred J. Murphy
Frederick James Murphy was an American college football, college basketball, and college baseball player and coach and college athletics administrator. Murphy served as the head football coach at Northwestern University, University of Denver, and University of Kentucky, compiling a career college football head coaching record of 40–37–4. He was also the head basketball coach at Manhattan College and at Northwestern, and the head baseball coach at Northwestern and Kentucky. In addition, Murphy served as Northwestern's athletic director from 1913 to 1918.
Early life, family, and playing career
Murphy was born on February 4, 1886, in Southville, Massachusetts, to Dennis Henry and Georgia Murphy. He was a nephew of Mike Murphy and Yale Murphy. A native of Westborough, Massachusetts, Murphy attended Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts. He then went to Yale University, where he played football as halfback in football, basketball as a guard, and baseball as center fielder.
Coaching career
Northwestern
Murphy was the 12th head coach at Northwestern University and he held that position for five seasons, from 1914 until 1918. His coaching record at Northwestern was 16–16–1. This ranks him 11th at Northwestern in total wins and tenth at Northwestern in winning percentage.
University of Denver
Murphy returned to coaching in the 1920 season to coach at the University of Denver, a coaching position he held for three seasons until 1922. At Denver, he compiled a record of 12–7–2. His best season at Denver was 1922, when the team's record was 6–1–1, second only to his 6–1 season at Northwestern in 1916.
Kentucky
Murphy's next move was to become the head coach at the University of Kentucky from 1924 to 1926. There he compiled a record of 12–14–1.
Murphy later worked as a personnel manager for Interchemical Corp. in New York before retiring, in 1948, due to poor health. He died on December 17, 1956, in Miami.