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| Columbia athletics photo |
Dean athletic director George Martin George has announced the hiring of former Bulldogs football student-athlete and 2007 alumnus Andrae Murphy as the next head coach of the Bulldogs football team.
"It's an honor to be named the head coach of Dean College," said Murphy. "I'd like to thank President Rooney and George Martin for giving me such an incredible opportunity to return home and lead this remarkable group of student-athletes. I owe so much to Dean College and I am eternally grateful to serve the Dean community in this capacity."
Murphy earned honorable mention NJCAA All-American and First Team All-Northeast Junior College honors as a defensive back at Dean from 2005-07. He earned an associate degree in communications in 2007. Murphy takes over a Bulldogs program that went 2-8 overall and 1-5 in the Eastern Collegiate Football Conference in 2021. The team is two years removed from an ECFC championship in 2019 and will look to make a run at next year's title with a large group of returning skill position players and a talented crop of newcomers.
"I am pleased to welcome back Andrae to the Dean College community as our next football head coach," said Martin. "Coach Murphy's passion for Dean, our student-athletes and vision for the future of the program elevated him to the top of a very deep and talented pool of applicants. I am excited to bring Coach Murphy back home to Dean and I look forward to seeing the impact of his leadership on our student-athletes, our athletic department and the entire campus community."
"I am thrilled that we are welcoming a Dean Bulldog to lead our NCAA Division III football program," said Dean president Paula M. Rooney Ed.D. "Dre knows what it means to be a Bulldog and to live the Dean difference. We are welcoming home an alumnus we are very proud of to lead our student- athletes to new academic and athletic success."
Murphy spent the previous five seasons with the Columbia, the last four as the defensive backs coach. Prior to his stint at Columbia, Murphy spent a year as the defensive backs coach at Holy Cross where he was responsible for practice, scouting, recruiting and academic success.
Murphy has also spent time on football coaching staffs at Florida Atlantic as a defensive quality control coach (2016) and at Massachusetts Maritime as defensive coordinator/defensive backs coach (2014-16).
Previously, Murphy served in the United States Army as a combat infantry fire team leader from 2011-15, where he was the recipient of multiple Army Accommodation and Achievement medals, was a member of the top squad competition title and was elected to the Army Green to Gold Leadership program.
After departing Dean in 2007, Murphy went on to earn First Team All-MASCAC and First Team All-New England honors as a defensive back/linebacker at Bridgewater State. He aided the Bears to win the 2008 MASCAC championship.
A native of Pembroke Pines, Florida, Murphy received an associate degree in communications from Dean in 2007 and a bachelor's degree in History from Salem State in 2015. He earned an MBA degree in sport management from Lynn in June 2017 and a master's in sport management from Columbia in 2019.