By Dylan Fink | Sports Writer
Baylor golf has a new leader at its forefront seeking to find the right rhythm for the program to succeed across the remaining spring campaign.
Following the January retirement of longtime coaching legend Mike McGraw, former Baylor assistant coach Ryan Murphy was moved up to the role of interim head coach. Murphy’s promotion came after McGraw’s decision to step down from the program to help his wife, Pam, with her health issues.
“Sometime late in the fall, Coach kind of brushed the topic with me,” Murphy said. “It’s a very bittersweet moment for me because I knew he needed more time with Pam, but also it is a great opportunity for me.”
Murphy now sits with big shoes to fill in front of him. McGraw is widely regarded across the golfing world as one of the best collegiate coaches in the country, winning three national championships across a coaching career that spanned more than 20 years.
“My first feeling was kind of sadness,” Murphy said. “[McGraw] is not your normal golf coach, this guy is one of one. He’s a Hall of Fame coach and a Hall of Fame person. I guess later on I felt the excitement of the opportunity.”
Looking ahead of his new role, Murphy has a tight-knit group of people supporting him in his corner.
“My inner circle is not really big,” Murphy said. “It’s probably only 10 to 15 people I would say I’m really close with, but they’re all excited for me and excited for the opportunity that’s in front of me. I’ve received a lot of well-wishes from them all.”
Murphy joined the Baylor staff last January after serving for 10 years as the head women’s golf coach at Texas. The five-time Big 12 champion now stands ahead of his first men’s head coaching role since 2008 at Division II St. Edward’s.
Murphy left St. Edward’s in 2008 to become an assistant for Texas’ men’s team. While serving in that position, Murphy had the opportunity to coach PGA stars and Masters winners Jordan Spieth and Scottie Scheffler. In 2013, Murphy’s dedication paid off, as he was named the Jan Strickland Assistant Coach of the Year, an award given to the nation’s top assistant coach.
“All your past experiences make you the coach that you are,” Murphy said. “You’re the culmination of all those ups, downs, successes and all those failures. I’ve had my share at each place that I’ve coached … All of them are learning experiences for sure.”
The Bears did not reach their expected heights in the fall semester, only achieving one top-five finish as a team, but Murphy has Baylor’s full trust to turn things around this spring.
“I took guidance from [Baylor athletic director] Doug McNamee,” Murphy said. “He told me two things. He said, ‘You’re the CEO of your program,’ and ‘We’re here to serve the mission of the university.’ I believe in those two things.”
Murphy coached his first tournament as Baylor’s head coach the second weekend of February, leading the Bears to a top-five finish at the Bentwater Collegiate in Montgomery.
“We finished fifth out of 14 and honestly that was not what we wanted going there,” Murphy said. “There were some positives and that’s what we will work on. You take those and you build on them. I’m under the impression you come back and you get right the areas that hurt you the most.”
Players have made it clear that they are behind Murphy this spring, as a bid to the NCAA Championship tournament is still on the table for the Bears.
“Yeah, whenever there is transition or change it takes some time to adapt,” senior Jonas Appel said. “It’s been really smooth. I mean, we’ve had Coach Murphy for, I think, a little over a year now, and so he’s been great ... I think there’s a lot of great opportunities that we have this spring and a lot of goals to accomplish.”
Murphy’s goal for the team this spring is not strictly result-focused, as he echoes McGraw’s “better than I found it” sentiment and seeks to lead his players to personal improvement and growth.
“Everybody pays attention to results and coaches are not exempt from that,” Murphy said. “If I’m really doing my job well, I am looking at personal improvement. I’ll know I did my job if each of the nine guys improve in some way … We try to focus our attention on things we can control and if we do that this semester, I would call that a success.”
Having been in the Waco community for a little over a year now, Murphy and his family are now willing to call Baylor a home.
“I grew up in a small town myself, so being in Waco reminds me of my upbringing,” Murphy said. “The thought of getting to raise my two boys here, should the opportunity come, is really appealing to me.”
Currently serving as just the interim head coach, Murphy voiced his willingness to take over the role full-time should the opportunity arise.
“No question, I would love to be a part of this program going forward,” Murphy said. “Being alongside Coach McGraw for a year was really terrific. It was only a year, but it was kind of the highlight of my career … I learned a lot of great things from him, and I’m sure that will continue as I’ve got him on speed dial.”
Murphy will lead the Bears over the border for their next tournament March 1-3 in Los Cabos, Mexico, at the Cabo Collegiate tournament.
