Reilly Murphy joined the Gannon coaching staff as offensive coordinator in March 2022 and also worked with the Golden Knight receivers.Murphy now begins his second season as offensive coordinator following an outstanding season which saw the Golden Knights’ offense rank among the best in the PSAC and Division II,
Murphy has a deep history as an offensive coordinator, holding the position at no fewer than four schools, and most recently was the head coach at Lake Erie College.
His first Gannon edition featured a balanced attack that averaged 31.6 ppg., good for second in the PSAC. The offense improved by eight points per game from 23.5 ppg. in 2021. The Golden Knights scored 40-or-more points in four games. Gannon ranked third in the conference in total offense (407.2 ypg.), second in passing offense (261.7 ypg.), and first in turnovers lost with just 11.
The Golden Knights scored 40-or-more points in four games. Gannon ranked third in the conference in total offense (407.2 ypg.), second in passing offense (261.7 ypg.), and first in turnovers lost with just 11.
Under Murphy’s guidance Kory Curtis developed into the top quarterback in the PSAC West, with the big senior breaking the school record for touchdown passes while averaging 261.7 ypg. passing and ranking in the top five in numerous statistical categories, including third in passing efficiency. Curtis was a Harlon Hill Trophy nominee, the equivalent of the Division II Heisman Trophy.
In addition, after catching just four passes in 2021 Ke’John Batiste broke the school record for receiving yards after hauling in 64 passes for 957 yards and 8 TDs, one of the top seasons ever by a Gannon receiver. Wide receiver Donell Mason also had a breakout season, earning the PSAC West Freshman of the Year award.
The running game featured two of the top eight ballcarriers in the PSAC in Melvin Blanks (888 yards) and Antonio Wright (700). All told the offense produced six All-PSAC performers -- First Team: Kory Curtis (QB), Melvin Blanks (RB), Ke’John Batiste (WR), and Jacob Petit (OL); Second Team: Alex Wittaker (TE) and Montana Nietert (OL).
“We are excited to add Reilly Murphy to our staff,” exclaimed head coach Erik Raeburn upon his hiring. “As a former head coach, his experience will benefit not only our players but our coaching staff as well. He led Lake Erie College to many record-setting performances and we look forward to him doing the same here.”
Murphy served as the head coach at Lake Erie from 2019 to 2021. His third season proved his best. In fact, The Storm had its best season as an NCAA Division II program, finishing with a 5-6 record. That included a 3-0 start with all three wins coming on the road. In the top win of the season, Lake Erie won at Hillsdale, 33-14.
A recent selection to the AFCA 35 Under 35 program, Murphy led the program to as many wins as the previous five years combined. In 2019, Lake Erie was 3-8. He picked up his first career victory with a 49-42 over Kentucky Wesleyan on September 28, 2019.
Murphy has enjoyed a diverse coaching career. Prior to heading to northeast Ohio as the head coach at Lake Erie, Murphy served as the offensive coordinator, quarterbacks and running backs coach at Fayetteville State in 2018. The Broncos advanced to the CIAA championship game after winning the conference's Southern Division. They ranked among the top offenses in the country with an average of 32.3 points per game while rushing for 216 yards per contest, good for 26th in Division II. Fayetteville State ended the year with a 6-3 record.
Prior to that he was as the offensive coordinator at Dixie State, another Division II school in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, for the 2016 and 2017 seasons. The 2016 squad finished with a 6-5 record, the first winning season in school history. That team also set a school record for rushing yards with 2,396 yards.
Murphy joined the Dixie State staff after a successful two-year stint at another Division II school, Western New Mexico. He was the assistant head coach and offensive coordinator for the Mustangs. His arrival at WNMU propelled the team to national success with top 10 offenses nationally in back-to-back seasons.
With Murphy as his mentor, quarterback Mitch Glasmann finished the season ranked seventh in the country in total offensive yards per game (341.1). He passed for (344.4) yards per game which ranked second nationally. His final total of 3,444 passing yards ranked him sixth in the country in total passing yards. In 2015 he eclipsed the career all-time Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference record for most TD passes and passing yards for a career.
WNMU had a pair of standouts at wide receiver. Xavier Ayers finished second in the country in total receiving yards with a school-record 1,356 yards. He was fifth in Division II in total receptions. Larry Young added 990 yards receiving and the duo finished one-two in the RMAC in receptions and receiving yards. Ayres was named a second team Associated Press Little-All American.
The prolific Mustangs’ offense also had a 1,000-yard rusher in Marques Rodgers, who ranked 14th in Division II with 1,283 yards rushing. He added 638 yards receiving.
Murphy’s 2015 offense averaged 32.3 points per game and finished seventh in the country in total offense with 5,379 yards. The Mustangs averaged 354.3 yards per game passing which ranked as the third top passing offense in the country.
In 2014, Murphy’s offense was ranked near the top in almost every offensive category. WNMU set school records for most points in a season (377) and most yards (5,606). The Mustangs were the only team in the country who passed for over 3,600 yards and rushed for over 1,980 yards, ranking ninth in the nation in total offense (509.6), and tenth in yards per game passing (329.4).
Murphy served as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Bethel College (Kan) in 2013. North Newton, Kan. Prior to Murphy's arrival, in 2012 Bethel’s football team was winless and had the worst-ranked offense in the country. His one season at the NAIA school saw a transformation into the best offensive season in Bethel’s history, setting records for points and total offense.
Prior to his time at Bethel, Murphy worked at Notre Dame (Oh.) in 2012 as the quarterback and tight end coach. He began his coaching career as the quarterbacks and tight ends coach in 2010 and 2011 at Grossmont College, a junior college in California.
During his playing career, Murphy played quarterback at Grossmont, leading the Griffins to a national championship in 2005, he was named to the Academic All-American team and was awarded the Joe Roth Memorial award. This award is given annually to a California Junior College football player who best exemplifies characteristics of leadership, humility, and class. He was then granted a scholarship to Indiana State University where he was a two-year starter and was named to the Gateway Conference’s Newcomer of the Year Team in 2006. Murphy played his prep football at Torrey Pines High School in San Diego, Calif., under legendary Coach Ed Burke. He was a team captain and was voted the team’s most valuable player receiving the Falcon of the Year Award.
Murphy earned his bachelor’s degree in Radio-Television-Film Communication from Indiana State in 2008. He went on to attend law school at Thomas Jefferson Law School in San Diego, Calif. He and his wife Caylyn have three children – son Griffin (4) and daughters Lynley (3) and Avery (18 months).
updated June 2023
