HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – Following a national search, Alabama A&M Director of Athletics Bryan Hicks has announced the hiring of NCAA Division I coaching veteran Andrew Murphy as head cross country and track & field coach on Monday, December 6.
 
Murphy takes over the reins of women's cross country and men's and women's indoor and outdoor track & field and brings 12 years of DI coaching experience to the programs – 11 of which have come at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU). In addition to his coaching experience, he also has an established history in developing and hosting large scale events for both cross country and track & field.
 
"We are extremely excited about the hiring of Coach Andrew Murphy," said Hicks. "He has a wealth of knowledge in developing and improving student-athletes performances in athletic pursuits and academic achievement. His commitment to the overall experience of student-athletes will serve our student athletes well."
 
Most recently Murphy served as an assistant track & field coach at his alma mater, Howard University, from 2017-21 and also held that same position from 2009-11. In those six years he combined to coach more than 25 All-Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference honorees and individuals that set 16 program records.
 
He would also coach a pair of cross country runner-up finishes by the men and women in 2021 along with an individual cross country championship by Ashley Hodges in 2010. She would also go on to set the MEAC Indoor Championship record in the 5,000-meters and be one of 17 All-MEAC performers in a two-year span.
 
Additionally, the Bison would see a pair of individuals qualify for the NCAA Division I Championships in track & field and deliver 11 All-Academic performers. Far from the only academic success by the program, both teams would earn United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-Academic Team recognition in 2017-18.
 
Murphy would spend one season at NCAA Division II California State East Bay in 2014-15, serving as the meet director for all home cross country and track & field meets for the Pioneers while helping to produce four record-setting performances that season. Included among those would be the development of Marquise Cherry who earned All-American honors in the triple jump.
 
That would be his lone excursion from the HBCU ranks, however, as he had just completed three highly successful years as an assistant with Morgan State's cross country and track & field programs.
 
From 2011-14 he contributed to a program that generated three individual league titles and 19 All-MEAC selections, the latter including five in cross country during a tremendous 2013-14 campaign. That year the Bears women's program earned an NCAA Regional ranking and finished second at the conference championships.
 
It would be an effort that would be spearheaded by Ashley Seymour, who claimed the first individual MEAC Championship in team history and would become the program's first National Athlete of the Week as named by USTFCCCA. She also was named the MEAC Outstanding Athlete of the Year for her efforts
 
Prior to making the jump to the college ranks, Murphy helped a pair of high school programs in two year stints, first with High Point Senior High School from 2005-07 and Meade Senior High School from 2007-09.
 
With Meade he was part of a program that won three outdoor and two indoor state championships as well as four county and region titles. Additionally, he helped guide better than 40 individuals to the Maryland State Championships, a group which would produce 12 individual titles to go with nine program records.
 
Along with those efforts, he oversaw the development of the Meade Stampede Invitational, an event that grew to become the largest invitational meet in the state with more than 600 athletes from 41 schools and three states.
 
As the head coach at High Point he was responsible for all academic, athletic and social development of all student-athletes within the track & field program. He also oversaw the Francis G. Tracey Stadium Improvement Plan that included the design and resurfacing of a seven-lane all-weather track.
 
"I am honored and excited to be joining the Bulldog Family as head track & field coach," said Murphy. "I would like to thank Director of Athletics Bryan Hicks and the hiring committee for welcoming me into this great community. The City of Huntsville is a true gem and I look forward to building a solid foundation for our track and field programs here on The Hill."
 
In addition to his Bachelor of Arts in History and Secondary Education from Howard University, Murphy also holds certifications with United States of America Track & Field (USATF). The latter includes a Level I Coaching Certification and Level II Coaching Certifications in Sprints/Hurdles/Relays and Endurance Events.
 
TRANSACTIONS
Alabama A&M announced that Andrew Murphy has been named head women's cross country and men's and women's track & field coach.