By Andrew Parente

Thomas Murphy, associate head coach of the men’s basketball team, was recognized earlier this week by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) for his community work during his time spent at Hamilton College in New York.

Murphy received the Division III Outstanding Service Award, which is given annually to coaches whose actions “inside and outside the lines” distinguish them as important assets to their respective communities.

“It’s a good thing,” Murphy said. “I have certainly been involved in the organization for a long time.”

Murphy spent 34 seasons, from 1970 to 2004, as the head coach at Hamilton before coming to Northeastern in 2006.

While in New York, Murphy was involved in various charitable committees and was successful with his role in the Coaches vs. Cancer organization.

“We were probably the leading school in Division III as far as raising money for Coaches vs. Cancer,” Murphy said. “I was also very active with the March of Dimes and other various charitable things too.”

In 1999, Murphy was named the March of Dimes Coach of the Year.

But it didn’t just stop with him, as Murphy got his players involved in giving back too.

“Our players were very involved in community service,” he said. “They did a lot of reading at local elementary schools and were also involved with different math programs at junior high schools.”

Head coach Bill Coen said he knows how important Murphy is to the program’s success and couldn’t be happier for his long time mentor.

“He is an invaluable resource to our program and I know our student-athletes enjoy working with him on a daily basis,” he said. “He is certainly well deserving of this award and I think it’s just a recognition of all the good he’s done for everybody that he’s come in contact with throughout the years.”

Murphy recruited Coen out of high school to play at Hamilton. He also gave Coen his first college coaching job as his assistant from 1987 to 1989.

“We have a relationship that’s just evolved over time,” Coen said. “It started as player-coach and then I was his assistant and now we have the great opportunity to work together again.”

Along with the previous honors, Murphy has also been inducted into the New York, Utica and State University of New York (SUNY) Hall of Fames. He has also been named New York State Coach of the Year on five different occasions as well as the NABC Coach of the Year in 1979.

The committee will honor the long time coach at this year’s NABC convention to be held in San Antonio, Texas April 5.