Reilly Murphy joins the STU Bobcats as Co-Offensive Coordinator in 2024. He comes from Division II Gannon University where he served as Assistant Head Coach & Offensive Coordinator since 2022. At Gannon, Murphy’s offense had outstanding production helping the Golden Knights win a PSAC West Championship in 2022. The Golden Knights’ offense ranked among the best in the PSAC and Division II.
At Gannon under Murphy’s guidance Kory Curtis developed into the top quarterback in the PSAC West, with the big senior breaking the school record for touchdown passes while averaging 261.7 ypg. passing and ranking in the top five in numerous statistical categories, including third in passing efficiency. Curtis was a Harlon Hill Trophy nominee, the equivalent of the Division II Heisman Trophy. He went on to sign a Free Agent contract with the Seattle Seahawks.
In addition, after catching just four passes in 2021 Ke’John Batiste broke the school record for receiving yards after hauling in 64 passes for 957 yards and 8 TDs, one of the top seasons ever by a Gannon receiver.
Murphy has a deep history as an offensive coordinator, holding the position at no fewer than four schools, and most recently was the head coach at Lake Erie College before resigning to join Erik Raeburn’s staff at Gannon University.
In Murphy’s two seasons as Head Coach at Lake Erie College his teams won more games than the previous 6 years combined. In 2021 the Storm had its best season in school history.
A recent selection to the AFCA 35 Under 35 program, Murphy has enjoyed a diverse coaching career. Prior to heading to northeast Ohio as the head coach at Lake Erie, Murphy served as the offensive coordinator, quarterbacks and running backs coach at Fayetteville State in 2018. The Broncos advanced to the CIAA championship game after winning the conference's Southern Division. They ranked among the top offenses in the country with an average of 32.3 points per game while rushing for 216 yards per contest, good for 26th in Division II.
Prior to that he was the offensive coordinator at Dixie State, another Division II school in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, for the 2016 and 2017 seasons. The 2016 squad finished with a 6-5 record, the first winning season in school history. That team also set a school record for rushing yards with 2,396 yards.
Murphy joined the Dixie State staff after a successful two-year stint at another Division II school, Western New Mexico. He was the assistant head coach and offensive coordinator for the Mustangs. His arrival at WNMU propelled the team to national success with top 10 offenses nationally in back-to-back seasons.
With Murphy as his mentor, quarterback Mitch Glasmann finished the season ranked seventh in the country in total offensive yards per game (341.1). He passed for (344.4) yards per game which ranked second nationally. His final total of 3,444 passing yards ranked him sixth in the country in total passing yards. In 2015 he eclipsed the career all-time Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference record for most TD passes and passing yards for a career.
Prior to WNMU Murphy served as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Bethel College (Kan) in 2013. North Newton, Kan. Prior to Murphy's arrival, in 2012 Bethel’s football team was winless and had the worst-ranked offense in the country. His one season at the NAIA school saw a transformation into the best offensive season in Bethel’s history, setting records for points and total offense.
Before Bethel, Murphy worked at Notre Dame (Oh.) under Coach Bill Rychel’s leadership as the quarterback and tight end coach. He began his coaching career as the quarterbacks and tight ends coach at Grossmont College, a junior college in California.
During his playing career, Murphy played quarterback at Grossmont, leading the Griffins to a National Championship in 2005, he was named to the Academic All-American team and was awarded the Joe Roth Memorial award. This award is given annually to a California Junior College football player who best exemplifies characteristics of leadership, humility, and class. He was then granted a scholarship to Indiana State University where he was a two-year starter and was named to the Gateway Conference’s Newcomer of the Year Team in 2006. Murphy played his prep football at Torrey Pines High School in San Diego, Calif., under legendary Coach Ed Burke. He was a team captain and was voted the team’s most valuable player receiving the Falcon of the Year Award.
Murphy earned his bachelor’s degree in Radio-Television-Film Communication from Indiana State in 2008. He went on to attend law school at Thomas Jefferson Law School in San Diego, Calif. He and his wife Caylyn have three children – son Griffin (6) and daughters Lynley (4) and Avery (3).
