Prior to Ken Murphy's arrival in Flagstaff, the Northern Arizona volleyball team had just one NCAA Tournament appearance to its name. Since Murphy was hired as the 11th head volleyball coach in Lumberjack history on July 1, 2013, the Lumberjacks have claimed three Big Sky Championships and advanced to the Big Dance twice in 2015 and 2018.

The 2026 season will be Murphy's 14th season at the helm of the NAU volleyball program. Since taking over the Lumberjacks, Murphy has elevated the program to be not only a perennial contender within the Big Sky Conference, but one that is highly competitive both regionally and nationally.

Murphy, the 2018 and 2025 Big Sky Coach of the Year, has recorded a school record 223 victories at NAU. Entering the 2026 season, Murphy owns a 223-146 record in Flagstaff and is also the program's all-time leader in win percentage (.604). In addition, the 'Jacks have also been nearly unbeatable at home since Murphy took over, compiling a 111-38 record at the Rolle Activity Center, including a 26-1 stretch from 2015-16.

The Lumberjacks added another milestone season under Murphy in 2025, capturing the Big Sky Conference regular season championship with a 23-7 overall record and a 13-3 mark in league play. Murphy was named Big Sky Coach of the Year for the second time in his career after returning NAU to the top of the league's regular season standings for the first time since 2018. As the defending regular season champion, NAU earned the right to host the 2026 Big Sky Volleyball Championships, marking the program's first time hosting the event since 2015.

NAU's championship season was highlighted by a regular-season sweep of Idaho State, including a 3-0 victory in Pocatello and a memorable Senior Day win in Flagstaff that featured a 44-42 opening set - the longest set played in NCAA Division I volleyball during the 2025 season and the fifth-longest in NCAA history.

Murphy coached one of the conference's most decorated groups in 2025 as Hanah Stoddard was named the Big Sky Conference Most Valuable Player after leading the Lumberjacks to the regular-season title. Stoddard, Gigi Greenlee and Sophia Wadsworth all earned All-Big Sky First Team honors, giving NAU three First Team selections. Stoddard also garnered AVCA Pacific Region Honorable Mention recognition, becoming just the third player in program history to earn AVCA All-Region honors, joining Janae Vander Ploeg (2015) and Kaylie Jorgenson (2018). Vander Ploeg (AVCA), Jorgenson (VolleyballMag.com) and Stoddard (AVCA) also garnered All-American recognition in their MVP seasons. Additionally, Murphy recruited three consecutive Big Sky Outstanding Freshmen (Abby Akin, 2016; Heaven Harris, 2017; Ryann Davis, 2018) as NAU became the first school ever to boast three consecutive top freshmen.

The Lumberjacks continued their tradition of producing elite talent in 2024 with two more All-Big Sky selections under Murphy's guidance. Taylor Jacobsen earned All-Big Sky First Team honors and continued to cement her place among the program's all-time greats, finishing her career second in school history with 1,395 kills while tying the program record with 125 career service aces. She also became the latest member of NAU's exclusive 1,000 kill/1,000 dig club.

Murphy also coached Millie O'Ketter to one of the most decorated defensive seasons in program history as she was named the 2024 Big Sky Libero of the Year and earned All-Big Sky Second Team recognition. O'Ketter led the conference in digs, averaging 4.75 digs per set in league play while earning three Big Sky Defensive Player of the Week honors throughout the season. She finished the year with 1,880 career digs, the second-most in NAU history and just 11 shy of the program record, while tying Jacobsen for the school record with 125 career service aces.

Since arriving in Flagstaff, Murphy has coached 34 all-conference selections, which is tops in the Big Sky, and has also posted six 20-win seasons and eight winning campaigns in all. 

Away from the court, Murphy has also risen the academic profile of the program with NAU earning the AVCA Team Academic Award for the 13th time in program history and the sixth in the last seven years. After initially earning the award in 1993, 2004 and four years straight from 2009-12, the Lumberjack volleyball program has received recognition every year since 2018 with the exception of 2020. The award dates back to the 1992-93 academic year. During the 2019-20 academic year, Murphy coached Abby Stomp to a decorated year which included Stomp being named NAU's Golden Eagle Top Female Scholar-Athlete, CoSIDA Academic All-America Third Team, Gold Axe Award recipient and Big Sky Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

Murphy became NAU's all-time winningest coach on Oct. 24, 2019, surpassing Kelley Sliva McKee with his 144th victory in dominating fashion. The Lumberjacks swept the eventual Big Sky Champion Northern Colorado in the Rolle Activity Center, putting the only blemish on the Bears' 17-1 Big Sky record in 2019.

The Lumberjacks wound up posting a 21-11 record in 2019 and finished in a tie for second with a 13-5 ledger in conference play. For the second consecutive season, NAU posted a win over an SEC school at home when the 'Jacks swept LSU during the Lumberjack Classic. Akin and Harris garnered All-Big Sky First Team honors and Sydney Lema and Taylor Jacobsen earned Second Team accolades as NAU tied a league-high four all-conference honorees.

After 2017, one of only three losing seasons under Murphy, the 'Jacks responded in a big way in 2018. The Lumberjacks finished the 2018 campaign with a 26-9 record and 15-3 mark in conference. NAU shared the regular season conference championship with Idaho, but left no doubt when the two teams met in the tournament finale by sweeping the Vandals to secure its second NCAA Tournament appearance in four years.

On Sept. 7, 2018, NAU sent shockwaves throughout the volleyball world when they bested No. 8 Florida – the defending national runner-up – in the Rolle Activity Center. The win was the Lumberjacks' highest ranked win in program history and set the tone for NAU's 2018 championship season. NAU posted a 13-match win streak, which ranks only behind Murphy's 2015 team's 17-match win streak, leading into the NCAA Tournament.

Jorgenson, Akin and Harris were named to the All-Big Sky First Team, while Davis was voted to the second team. Statistically, NAU was one of two teams – along with Nebraska – to finish in the top 40 nationally in kills, digs, aces, blocks, assists, total offense, total defense and win percentage. The Lumberjacks finished the 2018 season ranked 10th in the country in digs per set. Individually, Akin's school record .404 hitting percentage was eighth nationally.

The 2017 season was one of Murphy's most challenging as NAU finished with a 13-15 record. The Lumberjacks finished the season with seven wins in their last 11 matches though to qualify for the Big Sky Tournament for  sixth consecutive year. Despite finishing fifth in the conference, the 'Jacks were the lone team to defeat Sacramento State – the regular season champions – during the season.

Murphy notched his milestone 100th win as a Lumberjack on Oct. 19, 2017 with a sweep of Montana State. He did so in record-pace, needing just 144 matches to hit the century mark. For the second consecutive season, Murphy coached the Big Sky's top freshman with Harris garnering the honors. Jorgenson and Akin earned All-Big Sky First Team accolades, while Harris was a Second Team selection. As a team, NAU led the conference in aces per set for the third straight season.

NAU reached the Big Sky Tournament championship match for the second consecutive season in 2016, finishing with a 24-8 overall record. The final mark was the Lumberjacks' third 20-win season in the last four years – equaling the number of times the program had reached the 20-win plateau in the previous 39 years prior to the Murphy era. NAU also finished at a Big Sky best No. 91 in the NCAA RPI, marking the first time the program has finished in the top 100 in consecutive seasons in 15 years.

Murphy guided Lauren Jacobsen and Jensen Barton to All-Big Sky First Team honors while Brittni Dorsey and Akin was selected to the Second Team. Akin – also named the Big Sky Outstanding Freshman following a school record .367 hitting percentage – and Dorsey both ranked in the top 100 nationally in total blocks. Jacobsen meanwhile was top 50 in the country in kills. Behind Dorsey's No. 5 national ranking with a single season school record 64 aces, NAU led the entire country with 226 aces at the service line. The 'Jacks also were rated high in aces per set (third), opponent hitting percentage (11th), digs per set (21st), digs (27th), hitting percentage (33rd) and blocks per set (49th). The 2016 season was also the third straight that Murphy's team paced the Big Sky in total team offense and total team defense.

His third season in 2015 was historic on numerous levels, as the Lumberjacks returned to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1999, marking the program's second appearance ever. Murphy's Lumberjacks were the undisputed 2015 Big Sky Champions, winning both the outright regular season title – for the first time in school history – in addition to the tournament title. NAU compiled a 28-5 overall record, setting a new school record for victories in a season. The 'Jacks also set a new school record with 17 consecutive victories entering the NCAA Tournament along with new school records for consecutive home wins in a single season (14), overall consecutive home victories (17) dating back to 2014 and taking a record-tying six-match road win streak into 2016

In addition to winning both the regular season and tournament Big Sky championships, Murphy and the Lumberjacks finished the season at No. 33 in the NCAA RPI rankings, their highest finish ever. They were the highest ranked team in the RPI among the four schools in the state, including Arizona State and Arizona of the Pac -12. Among the notable non-conference victories in 2015 were wins over regional ranked opponents Loyola Marymount – who reached the NCAA Sweet 16 – and Boise State, as well as NAU's first win over an ACC opponent (Virginia Tech) since 2001.

In 2015, Murphy coached four players to All-Big Sky honors including Vander Ploeg, who became just the third player in school history to be named the Big Sky's Most Valuable Player. Payton Bock and Barton were also named to the First Team, giving NAU a school record three first team selections. Jacobsen was also named to the All-Big Sky Second Team. Vander Ploeg, the school's first ever three-time First Team selection also went on to become NAU's first-ever AVCA All-Region First Team selection and AVCA All-American. Vander Ploeg and Bock both broke career records in kills and blocks respectively and ranked in the top 10 nationally.

As a team, the Lumberjacks ranked in the top 30 nationally total service aces (fourth), aces per set (seventh), total blocks (11th), blocks per set (20th), opponent hitting percentage (23rd) and hitting percentage (26th). They led the Big Sky in all four categories and just one year after Murphy's team set a new school record in hitting percentage, the 'Jacks took it up a level offensively resetting the benchmark at .264.

The program's evolution started the year prior as Murphy led NAU to a 21-8 overall record and the Lumberjacks advanced to the Big Sky semifinals after posting an 11-5 record in conference play. The 2014 team was one of the most dominant in school history, as they finished the season in the top three in the Big Sky Conference in every statistical category including ranking first in hitting percentage, opponent hitting percentage, assists and blocks. NAU set a new school record with a .246 hitting percentage and were top 10 nationally with a .147 opponent hitting percentage and 2.96 blocks per set. Behind All-Big Sky First Team honorees Sydney Kemper and Vander Ploeg and Barton, a Second Team selection, the Lumberjacks raced out to a 9-0 start. It was the program's third such streak to open a season and set them on their way to their fourth 20-win season in school history. The Lumberjacks also posted a 10-1 record at home, tying the school record, at the time, for best home win percentage (.909) for the third time in history.

His first year in Flagstaff was a success as he guided the Lumberjacks to a 19-11 record, equaling the fourth-most victories in a single season in school history. Murphy led NAU to a 13-7 record in the Big Sky Conference in 2013 and the Lumberjacks earned the fourth-seed in the conference tournament while matching the school record for home victories with 11. He continued the maturation of Vander Ploeg, who was named to the All-Big Sky First Team as a sophomore, and helped coach Kemper to a second team All-Conference nod after switching positions. Murphy instilled resiliency in a young team that returned just three starters and they posted several big victories including a season sweep of Idaho State, the eventual Big Sky Champions, a three-set sweep of San Diego State, an NCAA Tournament team from the year prior, and handing Portland State and North Dakota their first conference losses of the season at home. Under his tutelage, the Lumberjacks finished 2013 as one of two teams to rank in the top-six in the conference in every statistical category.

Murphy arrived at NAU after seven years at UTEP, where he was named the 2012 Conference USA Coach of the Year in his final season. He was the second-most tenured head coach in school history, as he completed his stint with the Miners with an overall record of 82-135, including four Conference USA Tournament appearances. Murphy improved the Miner program over his last two seasons, as he led UTEP to a 35-26 record with five players earning All-Conference USA honors. In 2012, Murphy had two student-athletes earn American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Honorable Mention All-America honors. It was the second and third time in school history for the program.

Murphy previously coached at the University of Idaho (2000-05) and Colorado State University (1997-99).

He received his bachelor's degree from Arizona State in 1992 and master's degree in 1995. Ken and his wife Corie, have two children, Makenna Deborah and Kellan.

Ken Murphy's Head Coaching Record