This edition of D1 Nation Coaches Corner is with my old friend, Coach Mike Murphy of Pflugerville. I caught up with "The Man In Black" yesterday as he eyeballed his Pflugerville Panthers playing in my Sweet 16 Fall Showcase held in Austin.
What's your high school/college alma mater?
Austin Crockett & The University of Texas.
How long have you been coaching high school basketball?
29 years
Who inspired you to get into coaching?
Joe Miles, my high school coach.
What is your favorite food?
Steak
What opponents will be your toughest games this year?
They will all be a challenge, we have a tough schedule. In District 16-5A we have Round Rock McNeil, Round Rock Stony Point & Georgetown.
What is the most difficult part of being a high school coach?
Meshing the different attitudes & personalities of players to form a TEAM.
Pflugerville's Mike Murphy flashing his trademark smile before or after a game.
Bobby Knight (Indiana & Texas Tech)
Give your definition of a good coach.
He's one who gets his players to excel, play above expectations & WIN.
If you weren't a coach, what would you be?
Broadcaster or weatherman
What music do you listen to before a game?
Does Talk Radio count as music to my ears?
Who are the best player(s) you've ever coached?
Deon Mitchell (Northern Iowa), Doug Krause, & Bryan Beasley (Rice)
What are your goals for this season?
To win District 16-5A
I've known "Murph" for 10 plus years. He's always got a smile on his face, is always a gentleman, never has a bad word to say about anybody & he loves basketball! I've had the pleasure to coach his son, and many of his Pflugerville players over the years and he's always been a friend to me and to summer basketball when it's done the right way. The former Texas Longhorn star can still fire it up from the perimeter like nobody else, bowls a mean high score & is a heck of a golfer (much to my chagrine). We are two of the few guys in basketball who prefer a cowboy hat, and a comfortable pair of boots (I guess we'd better throw former Killlen Coach Bo Burgess into the mix on that one too..lol)-Coach Max Ivany
