ASU Coach Murphy Resigns

Wow, this should get interesting.

Right after the early signing period. Ouch!

Where's he going? Or just retiring?

Rivals college baseball message board has some inside info. Doesn't sound voluntary.

Nov. 20, 2009


TEMPE, Ariz. - Arizona State University baseball coach Pat Murphy announced his resignation today. An interim head coach will assume responsibility for the program until his replacement is selected.

"Coach Murphy has an outstanding record of success on the playing field," said Lisa Love, university vice president for athletics. "I thank him for 16 years of hard work and service to the university and the sport."

Pat Murphy became ASU's head baseball coach in August 1994. During his tenure, he was named Pac-10 Coach of the Year four times, his teams took three straight Pac-10 titles, four overall, and four World Series berths, and in 1998 he was named the National Coach of the Year.

Since the 2000 season, no other Pac-10 school has won as many games as ASU, both overall and conference games. Murphy has also had more players drafted by Major League Baseball since 1995 than any other coach in the nation.

ASU will immediately begin a national search for a new head baseball coach.

Posted on another board by the parent of ASU player:
"I hope to have news in a little bit. They are having a team meeting right now. He said this all went down this morning with security escorting Murph off. They had to show their ID to get in today with security all over the place. That is all I can say right now. Shocking, My kid loves ASU Baseball and his coaches."

This description would be an unusual way for voluntary resignation to be handled, if it is completely voluntary. In the post from iheartbb, the VP for athletics isn't exactly glowing in the "Thank you."

by Aaron Fitt from Baseball America:

I just got off the phone with Oregon State coach Pat Casey, who had not yet heard the news about Murphy’s resignation and was understandably stunned. Casey is one of Murphy’s closest friends in the college coaching world, and the fact that Casey hadn’t heard this news indicates that this decision was not planned well in advance. Casey even said he spoke with Murphy on the phone “the other day” and Murphy did not say anything about a plan to resign. Reaction in the baseball industry—scouts, agents, coaches—has been shock across the board.

So, take that for what it’s worth.

quote:

"Coach Murphy has an outstanding record of success on the playing field," said Lisa Love, university vice president for athletics.

I love reading tea leaves but it seems it was probably for something that happened "off" the field.

I think back to when University of Michigan fired Gary Moehler. An embarrassing event happened off the field and forced the University's hand.

I am sure we'll find out soon enough

Wow! This is blockbuster news.

He just had an interview on Rivals. It is highly unlikely he would have sat for the interview had he known anything was about to change.

Whatever is the impetus for this, it ain't good.

I feel bad for the players who left the program between seasons and perhaps for some of those coming into the program.

Wonder if it had something to do with Deadspin...timing is curious.

They have just lost three coaches since last season!

Picked up Knutson from Washington but they were not a good program.

They will find a big name to replace Murphy as they are the strongest PAC 10 program.

Even the big name programs aren't exempt from the coach revolving door.
So much for due diligence.

WOW! That is shocking. Obviously, sump'm bad happened. Sump'm Mike Price or Gary Mohler bad. Too bad. He can really put together a team. As far a new coach goes, they will likely wait until June for a "permanent" replacement.

Rumor in Phoenix is it might have something to do with a real estate deal that went south. Just rumor.

Then there's that two year investigation into allegations of academic fraud.

Per Jeff Metcalfe (blogger azcentral.com):

ASU Vice President for Athletics Lisa Love said she accepted Murphy's resignation so he and the program can move in a "new direction."

The resignation, Love said, is not directly related to an ongoing two-year investigation into allegations made by a former baseball employee.

ASU hired the Indianapolis-based legal firm Ice Miller to investigate charges that include academic fraud, improper recruiting travel, improper use of training at Athletes' Performance and violations relating to players working for Murphy's non-profit PTM Programs for Youth.

ASU's findings were forwarded to the Pac-10 and NCAA.

Murphy, who could not be reached for comment, has insisted that any violations were inadvertent or caused by faulty record keeping, did not create a competitive advantage and at most were secondary NCAA infractions.

After taking the Sun Devils to a third College World Series in five years last season, Murphy lobbied for a contract extension that Love would not negotiate until the NCAA investigation is completed.

About the timing of the resignation, Love said, "It's been a long, hard couple of years and an arduous process. Pat is where he is, and we're where we are. It's an amicable parting dictated by Pat."

*********************
from a poster on another message board, don't know how legit it is:

So it looks like this might have been one ****ed off coach who wanted an extension that Lisa was unwilling to grant him until the NCAA stuff was cleared up. Maybe this could have been managed better but perhaps Pat just gave her an ultimatum that she could not accept.

Conjecture is just that, a few days have now past since Coach Murphy abruptly resigned, it would be good to kmow the "real" story here.

quote:

So it looks like this might have been one ****ed off coach who wanted an extension that Lisa was unwilling to grant him until the NCAA stuff was cleared up. Maybe this could have been managed better but perhaps Pat just gave her an ultimatum that she could not accept.

This makes sense. It's also possible he was approached by another program figuring the investigation wouldn't go in his favor. They may have created a deadline for a decision. So now, what major programs have openings, a coach with his head in the noose, or close to retirement? Of possibly a program that wants to upgrade to the big time?

I/m hearing violations stemming from his "camp" that he held weekly where his players were paid weekly.

That is interesting.

Several of the schools indicated that they have similar programs for their players to earn extra money. In fact one of the posters indicated that their son did not go home for the holiday and they were working a camp...

NCAA D1 regulations specifically allow baseball players to work at camps, including those put on by their own institutions. The only significant restriction is that they must be paid the going rate that non-players would receive. (13.12 for camp employment generally, and 17.2.7 for baseball specifically.)

A program could get into trouble if they (or an associated camp) paid athletes to work a camp, and the player didn't actually do the work, or got paid an excessive wage.

Any NCAA athlete could get into trouble if they get paid for work they don't do, or paid too much, if a link to their college or its supporters is established.

But it's certainly OK for a baseball player to do an honest day's work!

Were they working just a camp at the school or the coach's owned facility off campus?

What are the rules on that?

Any word on the list of potential successors yet?

Coach Knutson who was fired from Washington was a volunteer coach (so he could continue to be paid from Washington) has taken over on a interim basis.

I think anything more than that would be remote until the dusk settles and if there are any sanctions against ASU that come out.

quote:

Originally posted by TPM:
Were they working just a camp at the school or the coach's owned facility off campus?
What are the rules on that?

It doesn't much matter. There is no rule against a baseball player having a job, as long as he actually works, and gets paid normal wages.

An institution can't use the player's picture, etc. to advertise the camp (other than to identify camp staff memebers), or pay him for his athletic reputation.

I suppose that any famous college player who sells cars might get into trouble with his amateur status, for benefitting from his reputation.

Still no statement from ASU or Murphy?

Well, just like Tinkers to Evans to Chance,
ASU has gone Murphy to Knutson to Esmay.
Most reports say the players are being told nothing other than the school wanted to go in a different direction. Murphy says he will speak in "due time." Today, even though Knutson had been announced, ASU has a new, interim head coach:

"Former Arizona State assistant Tim Esmay has been named interim head coach, according to ASU sports information director Randy Policar. Esmay spent the last five seasons as an assistant under Sun Devils head coach Pat Murphy, and the last three as assistant head coach, before Murphy fired him this summer.

Murphy himself resigned abruptly on Nov. 20, and some media outlets reported that volunteer assistant Ken Knutson would take over as interim head coach. In fact, according to one source, Knutson was offered the job but never accepted it because of financial considerations.

Esmay, a native of Scottsdale, Ariz., was an infielder for the Sun Devils from 1986-87 and an assistant coach under ASU icon Jim Brock from 1988-90 and in 1994. Prior to his return to Tempe in 2005, Esmay served as the head coach at Utah for eight seasons, where his teams compiled a record of 213-235-1, a .476 winning percentage."

As the Turd Whirls

Well, the other shoe dropped this weekend. The AZ Republic found out that coach Murphy did not resign but was forced out. Not a lot of information and some of it seemed to contridict itself.

The players asked to bring back the Asst. coach that had been fired in May and the school went along.

As with many of these stories, they evolve.
The latest is that ASU received notice from the NCAA of major violations in the baseball program..the day before Murphy voluntarily resigned.
From the content of this story, the violations are being asserted, at least in part, based on the investigation performed by the law firm hired by ASU, which reported to ASU, the Pac10 and the NCAA.
While the NCAA allegations do not look good for Murphy, looking behind them suggests the athletic department itself is swirling in the rubbage.
More to follow...for sure:

http://www.usatoday.com/sports...arizstate-ncaa_N.htm

I'll agree that the school did not control coach Murphy. He was doing things his way before the current athletic administration showed up and refused to give up control. If the one major violation turns out to be the team getting to workout at API it will be a shame. A world class facility on campus offered free or reduced rates to the kids and they get slapped for it.

For many moons people were out to get "Murph"---that stuff usually happens when you are successful--I have no idea what he did or didn't do but I do know that in my dealing with him I always found him to be a straight shooter and upfront not to mention a winner

As with all these types of situations there is always more than one side to the story I am sure. In due time I am sure all sides will have their opportunity to share what actually happened.

What's come out so far is that Lisa Love, AD, sent Murph a letter on 11/20, the day after the NCAA informed Love that they believed there were violations, that told him to resign or be fired.

The next day, Love hopped a plane and met with NCAA officials. She also offered a statement that said that Murph's firing had nothing to do with NCAA violations, which now turns out to be a blatant lie from her.

The major violations are about improper recruiting efforts, 500 too many phone calls over a 5 year period for one, which brought up the next set of violations, which was lack of oversight from the university. These are big, big violations in the NCAA's eyes. It's what got Kelvin Sampson fired twice.

quote:

Originally posted by CPLZ:
She also offered a statement that said that Murph's firing had nothing to do with NCAA violations, which now turns out to be a blatant lie from her.

Not really. The phrase "nothng to do with" isn't supported by her actual statement. In the 18th post of this thread, Homerun04 quoted the Arizona Republic story of Nov 20. Here's cherry-picked quotes and a paraphrase from Love:

The resignation, Love said, is not directly related to an ongoing two-year investigation into allegations made by a former baseball employee.
......
About the timing of the resignation, Love said, "It's been a long, hard couple of years and an arduous process. Pat is where he is, and we're where we are. It's an amicable parting dictated by Pat."

At the time of the resignation, and considering the abrupt nature of it, I took from Love's statements/paraphrase that the "two year" "arduous process" had turned up additional problems beyond the ones alleged by a former baseball employee. I also took from the statement that Murphy had chosen to resign rather than be fired.

Many people resign because they are given a choice. Resign or have fired on your resume.

Looks like the State of Arizona has deeper problems regarding the Fiesta Bowl and supposed politician payoffs---may not be too sunny in that state for too long

The 500 too many calls cited as a major violation were calls that did not get through to kids. The recruiters hung up when they reached a voice mail but failed to document the call unless they talked to a kid. the baseball staff is saying they did not know that call counted and they were to document those calls. That is why the school is getting hit with the failure to provide proper oversight.