Brandon Murphy
Assistant Coach - Sprints
618-406-5944
murphyb@wesclin.k12.il.us
Former McKendree University football and track star Brandon Murphy returned to his alma mater during the 2011-12 season as an assistant track and field coach. Murphy coaches the Bearcats’ sprinters.
Murphy returned to McKendree after serving as the head football coach and track and field coach at nearby Wesclin High School. Murphy guided the Warriors’ football program to a pair of Illinois High School Association (IHSA) state playoff appearances during his six-year stint.
Murphy also led Wesclin to consecutive sectional track championships in 2010 and 2011. He served as an assistant coach at Wesclin in both football and track and field before being elevated to the head coaching role in each sport for the Warriors.
On the track, Murphy was an accomplished sprinter and earned NAIA All-America honors as a member of the Bearcats’ 4 x 100-meter relay team in 2000. He was also a key member of the McKendree indoor track and field squad that captured the NAIA national championship back in 2001.
At Macomb High School, Murphy collected state championships in both the 100- and 200-meter dash as well as the 4 x 200-meter relay.
The 2015 indoor season marked the first track and field athlete to earn All-American honors under the tutelage of Coach Murphy when Cameron James finished 5th place at the NCAA Championships. That same season, James captured the 60m sprint crown boasting three consecutive years in the 60m dash at the GLVC Championships for the Bearcats. James would also leave the meet as champion in the 200m dash. Outdoors, the men’s squad would capture the 4x100m crown for the second year in a row.
During the first year of being able to compete at the NCAA Championships, Murphy was able to coach three NCAA qualifiers; Jordon Henderson, Cameron James, and Irma Maciukaite. Henderson graduated with back to back GLVC championship titles in the 60m and 100m. At the indoor NCAA Championships he walked away with a 17th place finish. In James’ sophomore year he was able to place 12th at indoor NCAA’s. Maciukaite competing in her first outdoor season for the bearcats finished 1st in the 400H at the GLVC Championships. She also qualified for NCAA’s and finished 16th overall.