Harvard coach Tim Murphy announces his retirement. He finishes as Ivy League's all-time wins leader

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (AP) — Harvard coach Tim Murphy, the winningest coach in Ivy League history, announced his retirement Wednesday after 30 years at the school.

“Harvard University has been a very special place for my family and me,” Murphy said. “I am graduating from a profession that has not only been my job, but other than my family and close friends, it has been my passion and my life for the past 45 years."

Murphy was head coach at Maine and Cincinnati before he took over at Harvard in 1994. He was 200-89 with the Crimson, including a record 141 wins in Ivy League play. He won his record-tying 10th league title in 2023. He was 232-134-1 in 37 seasons as a head coach.

Before Murphy's arrival, the Crimson had not won more than eight games since 1919. Harvard went 9-1 and won the Ivy League title in 1997. His teams were unbeaten in 2001, 2004 and 2014. He was 19-10 against rival Yale.

“Harvard has 150 years of football history and Tim Murphy led the most successful era of its entirety in his 30 seasons,” athletic director Erin McDermott said. “His name will forever be linked with Harvard Football in an exalted manner because of the sustained team success, coaching milestones achieved and the measure of his character and work ethic. Coach Murphy changed Ivy League football upon his entry, and we are all better for it.”

Harvard produced several NFL players during Murphy’s tenure, including center Matt Birk, quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick and fullback Kyle Juszczyk.

Murphy was a five-time finalist for the Eddie Robinson Award as top coach in the Football Championship Subdivision and an eight-time New England coach of the year.

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