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Jason Murphy
Jason Murphy begins his 10th season as the UW-La Crosse head soccer coach in 2023. The third head coach in school history, Murphy is 118-38-21 (.726) overall and 43-8-6 (.807) in Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) play in his first nine seasons. The 2020 season was canceled due to the COVID-19 public health threat.
He has guided the Eagles to five appearances in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III Tournament, including two (2017, 2021) trips to the national quarterfinals. UWL advanced to the third round in 2017 and 2022 and made its first appearance in the NCAA Division III Championships in 2015.
The Eagles went 21-2-1 overall and 7-0 in the WIAC in 2022, winning the conference regular season and tournament titles. It was UWL's sixth straight appearance in the WIAC Tournament Championship game. UWL earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Championships, defeating Greenville University (Ill.) in the opening round and Illinois Wesleyan University in the second round. The Eagles fell at Virginia Wesleyan University in the third round.
The 21 wins in 2022 set a single-season school record, breaking the previous record of 20 in 2017. UWL won 14 straight games in 2022, tying the school record in 2018. The team also recorded 14 shutouts, tied for the most in school history set in 2017.
UWL finished ranked 13th in the final 2022 United Soccer Coaches Top-25 poll as well as on D3soccer.com.
UWL was 16-4-4 overall and 6-1 in the WIAC in 2021. The Eagles advanced to the national quarterfinals, earning a first round win over Wartburg College (Iowa) and second round victory over St. Catherine University (Minn.). The Eagles defeated sixth-ranked Washington University-St. Louis (Mo.) in a shootout in the third round before falling to ninth-ranked Loras College (Iowa) in the national quarterfinals in a shootout. Action Shot
Jason Murphy has led UWL to five NCAA III Tournament appearances.
UWL finished 12-7-3 overall and 4-2-1 in the WIAC in 2019, advancing to the conference tournament championship game for the fourth straight year.
The Eagles finished 18-3-3 in 2018, recording the second most wins in single-season school history while winning a school record 14 straight games. UWL finished 20-2-3 overall in 2017, setting a school record for victories. UWL won the 2018 WIAC regular-season title with a 6-0-1 record. The Eagles also captured the conference tournament title with a 3-1 victory over UW-Eau Claire, earning an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Championships.
UWL earned its third regular-season conference title in school history in 2017 with a 7-0 league mark, finishing undefeated in WIAC play for the first time in school history. The Eagles earned an automatic bid to the 2017 NCAA III Championships after winning the WIAC Championship with a 4-3 shootout victory over UW-Whitewater.
Along with the school records for wins (20) and shutouts (14) in 2017, UWL set single-season school records for goals (65), assists (63), points (193) and shots (506).
UWL earned the WIAC Coaching Staff of the Year Award in 2017, 2018 and 2022. The Eagles were also selected the 2017 and 2022 United Soccer Coaches Region Staff of the Year.
UWL set a then school record for single-season wins in 2016, finishing 14-5 overall. The Eagles finished second in the WIAC in 2016 with a 5-2 mark, advancing to the WIAC Championship game for third time in school history and first since 1999.
Murphy led UWL to its first appearance in school history in the NCAA Division III Championship in 2015 as the Eagles finished 12-7-2 overall. UWL claimed a share of the WIAC regular season title with a 5-1-1 league record. The conference title was the second in school history (1996).
For his efforts, Murphy was named the 2015 WIAC Coach of the Year. The Eagles won a then school record eight consecutive matches in 2015 and advanced to the WIAC Championship Semifinals.
Forty-three All-WIAC honors have been earned in Murphy's nine seasons at UWL. Six players were selected to the 2022 All-WIAC Team, including Ainsley Allan, Ellie Arndt, Ellie Behnke, Claire Cater, Alexis McMahon and Addie Pauling. Allan was named the WIAC Offensive Player of the Year while McMahon was voted the WIAC Defensive Player of the Year. McMahon was named to the United Soccer Coaches All-America First Team while Arndt earned Second Team accolades. Allan, Arndt, Behnke, McMahon and Sophia Anger earned all-region honors.
Four student-athletes were named to the 2021 all-conference team, including Sophie Amundson, Katie Feller, Quinn Shannon and McMahon. Amundson was voted the 2021 WIAC Offensive Player of the Year. Amundson and Feller were named to the 2021 United Soccer Coaches National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III Region IX Team First while McMahon was named to the second team. Amundson was also named to United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division III All-America Third Team.
Five student-athletes were named to the 2019 all-conference team, including Kaitlyn Villars, Feller, Amundson, Shannon and Sydney Halstead. Feller was voted the 2019 WIAC Co-Defensive Player of the Year while Halstead was named the WIAC Newcomer of the Year.
Seven players were named to the All-WIAC Team in 2017 and 2018. The Eagles' Lily Brock, Megan Carroll, Cassie Handrick, Margaret Harings, Delaney Harnell, Maya Schmitt and Villars all earned the honor in 2018. Brock, Carroll, Alex Cording, Maddie Granos, Harings, Schmitt and Villars were named to the 2017 team. It marked the first time in school history UWL had seven student-athletes named to the all-conference first team.
The Eagles have had at least four players named to the All-WIAC Team in each of Murphy's first nine years.
Harings was selected the 2017 and 2018 WIAC Offensive Player of the Year while Schmitt was named the WIAC Defensive Player of the Year both seasons. Harings became the first player in school history to be named the league's offensive player of the year while Schmitt was the third to be selected the WIAC Defensive Player of the Year.
Feller and Villars were named to the 2019 United Soccer Coaches All-North Region Second Team.
Harings (first team) and Schmitt (third team) were voted to the 2018 United Soccer Coaches All-America Team while Harings (first team) was selected to the 2018 D3soccer.com All-America Team. She is the first player in school history to earn D3soccer.com All-America honors. Harings, Schmitt, Carroll and Handrick were all voted to the 2018 United Soccer Coaches All-North Region First Team.
In 2017, Harings (second team) and Carroll (third team) earned United Soccer Coaches All-America Team accolades while Harings (first team), Carroll (first team), Schmitt (first team) and Villars (second team) were voted to the United Soccer Coaches All-North Region Team.
Carroll, Granos, Harings, Haley Hartkemeyer, Natalie Herzog and Hayley Stephens, were named to the 2016 All-WIAC Team. It marked the first time in school history UWL had six student-athletes named to the all-conference first team. Carroll, Harings and Herzog were selected to the 2016 National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) All-North Region Team for NCAA Division III with Carroll and Harings earning second team honors and Herzog third team recognition.
Kourtni Alcock was voted the 2015 WIAC Co-Defensive Player of the Year under Murphy. Alcock and Harings were both named to the 2015 NSCAA All-North Region for NCAA Division III. Alcock was voted to the first team while Harings earned third team recognition.
Carroll was named to the 2017 United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-America Second Team while being voted to the United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-North/Central Region First Team. Stephens was named to the 2017 United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-North/Central Region Second Team.
Murphy led the Eagles to an 5-8-5 overall and 3-2-3 WIAC record in 2014. Kirsten Anderson, Nicole Blaser, Kelly Denk and Ashley Tracy were selected to the 2014 All-WIAC Team. Denk was also named a co-recipient of the 2014 WIAC Judy Kruckman Scholar-Athlete Award.
Murphy came to UWL after serving as head women's soccer coach and director of athletics at Marian University (Wis.). He completed his fourth season as the Sabres' head coach in 2013. Marian (Wis.) compiled a 33-12-2 Northern Athletic Conference (NAC) record under Murphy, who was selected the league's coach of the year in 2011. The team tied a single-season school record with 13 victories (13-7) in 2011, including 10-2 in conference play. The Sabres advanced to the program's first conference championship game in 2011 as seven players earned All-NAC recognition.
He has a 159-71-24 overall collegiate coaching record in 12 seasons.
Murphy has served on the NCAA Division III Women's Soccer National Committee and on the NCAA Regional Advisory Committee.
He took over as Marian's (Wis.) Director of Athletics in 2011, overseeing and managing the NCAA Division III athletic department. Murphy also served as an adjunct professor in the School of Education. He earned his bachelor's degree in business administration from UW-Stevens Point in 2004 and master's degree in exercise and sport science: sport administration from UWL in 2007.
Murphy has earned his National and Advanced National coaching licenses from the NSCAA as well as his NSCAA State and Regional Goalkeeper licenses.
Prior to becoming Marian's (Wis.) head coach, Murphy served as an assistant women's soccer coach at the University of Chicago (Ill.) for two years and at UW-Stevens Point for two seasons. He helped guide the University of Chicago (Ill.) to a 28-10-3 record as the Maroons qualified for the NCAA III Championships in both seasons. Murphy helped lead UW-Stevens Point to an overall record of 31-8-5, including winning two WIAC tournament titles and making two appearances in the national championships.
Murphy resides in La Crosse with his wife, Cindy, and two sons.
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