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| Dave Murray spent seven years
as head coach at Cortland, one at Lebanon Valley and 16 at
Alfred. Alfred athletics photo |
Dave Murray, head football coach at Alfred since 1998, has been named head football coach at Hamilton.
Murray has an overall record of 151-99-1 in 24 years as head
coach at Alfred, Lebanon Valley and Cortland. He is ranked 20th on
the Division III winningest active football coaches list by
victories with 151. He replaces Andrew Cohen, who stepped down in
February after two years at Hamilton, compiling a 1-15 record.
"I am honored and humbled to be offered the position of head
football coach at Hamilton College," Murray said. "To be a part of
the Hamilton College community and to be associated with such a
first class, prestigious institution is something my family and I
look forward to."
At Alfred, Murray's last season with a losing record was back in
2002. He guided the Saxons to the postseason every year from 2004
through 2013, including NCAA Division III playoff appearances in
2009 and 2010. Alfred earned a share of its first Empire 8
Conference title in 2009 and captured the conference crown outright
the next year. He was selected the Empire 8 Coach of the Year three
times.
"We are thrilled to have Dave Murray join our community,"
Hamilton's Director of Athletics Jon Hind '80 said. "He
is well respected throughout the football world both as a
tremendous teacher and, of equal importance, a great person. I am
excited to have him leading our football program going
forward."
The highlight of Murray's Alfred coaching career was 2010 when his
team ended up 10-3 and advanced to the NCAA quarterfinals. The two
NCAA victories were the first in program history. The trip to the
2009 NCAA playoffs was the first in 28 years for the Saxons.
In 2013, Murray led Alfred to a record of 8-3, including 5-2 in
the Empire 8. The Saxons finished the season with a win against
Cortland in the 2013 Eastern College Athletic Conference Division
III North Central Bowl game.
Under Murray, Alfred players received six Empire 8 player of the
year awards and six Empire 8 rookie of the year honors. Two Saxons
were voted ECAC Northwest players of the year and six Alfred
players earned first team All-America recognition.
Murray took Cortland to the NCAA playoffs in his first year as a
head coach in 1990. Prior to that, he was an assistant coach and
defensive coordinator at Cortland from 1987 to 1989. He worked with
the linebackers as an assistant at Dartmouth for four years and was
a graduate assistant coach for football and track & field at
Ithaca in 1983 and 1984.
Murray has been a member of the American Football Coaches
Association for 28 years and is a member of the National Football
Foundation. He is the chairman of the East Region for the Division
III All-America selection committee and is on the national board of
coaches that votes for the AFCA Division III Top 25 poll.
Murray played linebacker on the football team and earned a
bachelor's degree at Springfield, and he received his master's
degree from Ithaca. He also has a certificate of advanced study in
educational administration from Cortland.
Murray is a native of Scotia, N.Y., and is a graduate of
Scotia-Glenville High School. He and his wife Karin have three
daughters, Chelsea, Kailea and Megan.