Hall of Fame
Position: Coach
Years: 1958-1971
Place of Birth: Lorenzo, TX
Date of Birth: Jan. 13, 1921
Place of Death: Memphis, TN
Date of Death: Feb. 21, 2008
Record: 91-44-1 (67.3%)
The winningest coach in Memphis history, Billy Jack Murphy headed the Tigers' program for 14 years, posting winning records in all but two seasons and leading the school into the national rankings. Murphy, who passed away in 2008 at the age of 87, becomes the second person with ties to Memphis to enter the College Football Hall of Fame.
In 1958, Murphy became head coach at Memphis, then-known as Memphis State, and he would take the program from obscurity to national prominence with multiple firsts while winning 67.3 percent of his games before his exit after the 1971 season with an overall record of 91-44-1. In 1960, he led the team's transition to major college status as a member of the NCAA University Division while posting an 8-2 record. As the Tigers' program grew in stature, Murphy replaced small-college opponents with major programs, including wins against Florida State, Houston, Miami (FL), Mississippi, Mississippi State, South Carolina, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest. In 1962, Murphy led the Tigers to their first win over a member of the SEC, a 28-7 victory at Mississippi State.
In 1963, the Tigers posted the school's first undefeated season since 1938 with a 9-0-1 record, and Murphy claimed National Coach of the Year honors from The Detroit Times while Memphis running back Dave Casinelli claimed the NCAA rushing title and the defense posted five shutouts. The team finished No. 14 in the UPI Coaches Poll, the highest ranking in school history. The lone tie that season, a 0-0 tilt, came against No. 2 Ole Miss who had not been shutout in 47 games. In 1967, Murphy and the Tigers would finally gain the upper hand, claiming the program's first win against Ole Miss with a 27-17 victory at home.
In 1968, Memphis ended its 27-year run as an independent, joining the Missouri Valley Conference, and Murphy would earn Missouri Valley Conference Coach of the Year honors in three of the school's first four seasons in the conference. On Dec. 18, 1971, Murphy led Memphis to its first appearance and first win in a major bowl with a 28-9 victory over San Jose State in the Pasadena Bowl. The game marked Murphy's final appearance as a head coach, and he transitioned fulltime to athletics director, a role he had started in 1966 and held until 1981.
Murphy grew up in Siloam Springs, Arkansas, before enrolling at Mississippi State in 1939 and playing as an All-SEC tailback for future College Football Hall of Coach Allyn McKeen who had previously headed the Memphis program. In 1943 and the midst of World War II, Murphy joined the Marine Corps Reserve and transferred to Duke University for training with the V-12 Program. He served heroically in the South Pacific, narrowly escaping with his life on at least four occasions and receiving the Bronze Star, the Presidential Citation and the Navy Citation. Following World War II, Murphy returned to Mississippi State as the captain of the 1946 Bulldogs team.
After graduating from Mississippi State, Murphy took his first job as an assistant coach at Memphis for a five-year stint. In 1951, he returned to Mississippi State under head coach Murray Warmath who he then followed to Minnesota in 1954 for four seasons as the running backs coach before becoming the Memphis head coach at the age of 37 in 1958. Murphy has been inducted into the State of Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame, the Mississippi State Hall of Fame and the Memphis M Club Hall of Fame. Each year the Billy J. Murphy Award is presented to a former Memphis athlete who has excelled in their chosen profession after graduation, and the Tigers' practice facility is named in Murphy's honor.
