DENVER - The Colorado Rapids announced today the addition of five-year Major League Soccer coaching veteran John Murphy to the Black and Blue's coaching staff. Murphy joins former Rapids defender and third-year assistant coach Steve Trittschuh, working for Fernando Clavijo.
"I've known John (Murphy) for many years now, and the experience that he has gained during his coaching career at the MLS, A-League and collegiate level made him a no brainier for the First Assistant Coach position," said Rapids Head Coach Fernando Clavijo. "With Murphy and Steve (Trittschuh) I know I've surrounded myself with a coaching staff that shares my vision of the game and that will help transmit to the players so that they can perform at their highest level."
During the 2004 season with the Columbus Crew, Murphy played an important role in the team's amazing turnaround as one of the Assistant Coaches and Goalkeeper Coach to Greg Andrulis' team. During his time with the Crew, the team set an MLS record with an 18-game unbeaten streak after overcoming a winless streak (0-3-2) at the start of the season to finish with a (12-5-13) record and its first-ever Eastern Conference regular season title.
Prior to joining the Crew, Murphy worked four years with the New England Revolution as Assistant Coach and Goalkeeper Coach under Head Coaches Fernando Clavijo (2000-2002) and Steve Nicol (2002-2003). Prior to MLS, he served as the goalkeeper coach for the Worcester Wildfire of the A-League and the Cape Cod Crusaders of the PDL.
At the collegiate level, Murphy, who was recognized twice as the New England Coach of the Year (1994, 1999), served as the head coach at Assumption College (Worcester, Mass.) and Massasoit Community College (Brockton, Mass.), and was an assistant coach at Brown University.
The Quincy, Mass., native, is the author of "Full Season Goalkeeper Training Program," published by World Class Coaching in December 2003, and has authored articles that have appeared in the Bay Stater, Soccer New England and Performance and Conditioning Inc.
He holds a U.S. Soccer "A" License, an UEFA "A" License from the Scottish Football Association, an NSCAA Advanced National Diploma, and an English Football Association "A" Goalkeeper Coaching License.
Murphy and his wife, Erin, have a son, Shay. They will be relocating to Colorado in the coming months.
