What They Are Saying About Jack Murphy
What They Are Saying About Jack Murphy…
“Jack Murphy is a high character and high integrity
guy and has a high moral compass. He knows what it takes to win and
has been around winning at the highest level. He has a
very good basketball mind and an excellent recruiter and a
people’s person. He is an energy giver. Northern Arizona
University, the athletics department and the Flagstaff community
found themselves two gems in the same week in Dr. Lisa Campos and
now Jack Murphy as the men’s basketball
coach.”
Josh Pastner, Head Men's Basketball Coach at Memphis
"Jack is an amazing guy. He's coming from a situation where he
left his job with the Denver Nuggets to go with Josh Pastner. I
think all of that is about the family atmosphere under Lute Olson
and continued that with Josh Pastner at Memphis. I think he'll be a
young, hard-working head coach and a guy that's going to try and
bring that family atmosphere and consistency to NAU. I think that's
something positive for the school and the community."
Richard Jefferson, NBA Forward for Golden State Warriors & Former UA Wildcat
"I think Jack will do a great job. He has a great work ethic, he
has a lot of experience from when he was here for eight years at
Arizona. He came in as a manager and really put in a lot of work
and eventually was able to come with us on the road and help us
with recruiting. Along with Josh (Pastner), he was involved with
bringing in Chase Budinger and some of the really outstanding
people we had. Jack has a really good background, good experience
and he's really excited with being back in the West. He'll do a
great job, he communicates well with players and he has an
extensive background with working with individual players. He'll be
well-liked by the community because he's a community person as
well."
Lute Olson, Former Head Men's Basketball Coach at UA
"I got hired in my first job in NBA when I was 33 years old and
Murph has similar qualities to me. He's very passionate, he's an
incredibly hard-working guy and he's a sponge for the knowledge of
the game of basketball. I told him that Northern Arizona is a
perfect fit. It's at a level where he can have success and he can
move quickly. I think the alumni and the university will love his
ambition and his passion. He's an engaging guy and he loves to
teach basketball. We love him here in Denver and we've tried to get
him back ever since he left because we think he's that valuable to
an organization. He's just a positive energy guy, a positive
influence guy and at the end a good basketball coach."
George Karl, Head Basketball Coach for Denver Nuggets
"Number one, I think he's a great hire for the school just because
of the quality of human being he is. I can honestly say if it
wasn't for him pushing me in college, I wouldn't be where I am now.
His number one trait is his passion for the game. If you have a
coach who's passionate about basketball and playing it the right
way, you're going to get quality kids who play the game the right
way. The respect he's got from earning his way from being a manager
at UA to working his way up to a coach, he doesn't cut corners, he
puts in the work. Without a doubt he knows the game of basketball.
Right now, you've got a guy I'd love to play for if I was coming
out of high school."
Channing Frye, NBA Forward for Phoenix Suns & Former UA Wildcat
"I think Coach Murphy is going to be great for NAU. He obviously
has some ties to the state of Arizona and Coach Murphy is one of
those people that proves that if you're willing to work harder than
anyone else, you can succeed in whatever you're goal is. His work
ethic and his love for the game has made him a great career in
basketball so far. He's one of those guys that is up early ready to
work and staying up late looking at game films and doing whatever
he can to give his team the best opportunity to win. On a personal
note, he played a major role in helping me reach my goal of
becoming an NBA player. He's going to be a great fit for NAU."
Luke Walton, NBA Forward for Cleveland Cavaliers & Former UA Wildcat
"Murph is a tireless worker who prides himself on hard work,
dedication and dignity. He will be a tremendous asset to NAU."
Chauncey Billups, NBA Guard for Los Angeles Clippers & Former Denver Nugget
