Reilly Murphy enters his second season as the Offensive Coordinator and Quarterbacks coach at Dixie State University. Coach Murphy comes to DSU from Western New Mexico University, where he served as Assistant Head Coach-Offensive Coordinator-Quarterbacks Coach.
At Western New Mexico in 2015 Murphy’s Quarterback Mitch Glasmann had a memorable season. He finished the season ranked 7th 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. Prior to his first quarter season ending injury in week 10 he was ranked first in the country in total passing yards and yards per game. He finished first in the RMAC in both categories. Under Murphy’s tutelage Glasmann managed to accomplish some very high marks. For WNMU he has the most passing yards and TD passes in a season and also holds the career records for both. In 2015 he eclipsed the career all-time Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference record for most TD passes and passing yards for a career. Glassman was named to the USA College Football All-American honorable mention squad, Third-Team Don Hansen All Super Region Four Team and Second-Team All-RMAC.
Running back Marques Rodgers also received national recognition for his 2015 campaign. His 1,283 yards of rushing ranked him as the 14th top rusher in the country. Along with the rushing yards he had 638 yards of receiving which put him in the top-10 in the conference in receiving yards. These marks put him at second in the country in total all-purpose yards (2,044) and fourth in the country in total all-purpose yards per game (185.8). Rodgers was honored with being named to the Second-Team All-RMAC team. He also was named to the Don Hansen’s First-Team All-Super Region Four Team along with Second-Team All-American squad.
WNMU had two standout wide receivers who busted on to the scene in 2015 to have career years. Junior WR Xavier Ayers finished second in the country in total receiving yards, accumulating 1,356 yards. This also broke WNMU’s school record for receiving yards in a season. He averaged 123.3 yards per game and was 5th in the country in total receptions. Senior WR Larry Young also contributed heavily to the passing attack. Together Ayers and Young dominated the RMAC leaderboard in receiving statistics. Ayers led the conference while Young was second in the league in total receptions and total receiving yards. Young finished the season just under 1,000 yards receiving totaling 990 yards on the season. Those marks put him at 13th in the country in receiving yards per game (99.0) and 21st in the country in total receiving yards (990). His 10 TD receptions was good for second in the RMAC and 26th in the country in total TD receptions. In total Ayers and Young were the only two WRs from the same team to each be ranked in the top-15 in the country for receiving yards per game. Young was named to the USA College Football All-American Second-Team squad and was Second-Team All-RMAC. While Ayres brought in the most awards of all the Mustangs in 2015. He was named to the Associated Press Little-All American Second Team, D2CCA Second-Team All American, D2CCA First-Team All-Region Super Region 4 and First-Team All-RMAC. Offensive tackle Zachary Andrews-Worline was a Second-Team All-RMAC selection. He was also named to the USA College Football All-American Second-Team squad.
In total Murphy’s 2015 offense averaged 32.3 points per game. They finished seventh in the country in total offense with 5,379 yards. While accumulating 265 first downs which was the 14th most first downs gained in the country. They averaged 354.3 yards per game passing which ranked as the third top passing offense in the country.
In 2014 Coach Murphy’s first year as the Mustangs’ play caller the offense was ranked near the top in almost every offensive category. As the team set school records for offense in a season, scoring the most points (377) and gaining the most yards (5,606) in WNMU’s documented history. In 2014 WNMU may have been the most balanced offense in the country. The Mustangs were the only team in the country who passed for over 3,600 yards and rushed for over 1,980 yards. The offense was ranked 9th in the nation in total offense averaging over 500 yards a game (509.6), 10th nationally for yards per game passing (329.4), 2nd in the RMAC in points per game (34.3), 18th nationally and 2nd in the RMAC in time of possession per game (35:20), 17th nationally in first downs (288), and gave up the least amount of sacks in the RMAC (1.36) per game.
In 2014 several players were named to the All-RMAC Team, 4 out of the 5 starting offensive linemen garnered all-conference recognition (Zayde Khalil, Michael Coe, Zachary Andrews-Worline, and Jacob Costilow). Quarterback Mitch Glasmann broke the school’s record for TD passes (33) and passing yardage (3,623) in a season. Glasmann finished 6th nationally in TD passes per game and also 7th in yards per game. Running back Marques Rodgers was honored with the RMAC’s Freshman of the Year Award. He produced 1,606 yards and was the first 1,000+ yard rusher since 1998 at WNMU. Rodgers finished 16th nationally in rushing yards (1,296) and 20th nationally in yards per game (117.8). Wide receiver Donald Byrd was first-team all-conference and an honorable-mention All-American. Byrd had 1,200 receiving yards and 12 receiving TDs. These marks put him at 7th in the country in receiving yards and 12th in the country in receiving TDs.
In 2014 the Mustangs finished with 5,606 total yards of offense, 3,623 through the air and 1,983 on the ground. The offense scored 100 points or more in two quarters on the season posting 116 in the fourth and 112 in the second. The offense scored 30 or more points in eight games, reaching 40 or more four times and 50 or more once.
Previous to WNMU in 2013 Murphy served as offensive coordinator-quarterbacks coach at Bethel College in North Newton, Kan. Prior to Murphy's employment at Bethel College in 2012 Bethel’s football team was winless and had the worst ranked offense in the country. During Bethel's first game of 2013 Murphy’s offense surpassed the touchdown production of the teams previous season with six touchdowns in a 41-27 win over Haskell. The offense was able to parlay that success into the best offensive season in Bethel’s recorded history scoring the most points and gaining the most yards in school history. Producing Bethel College’s first 1,000+ yard wide receiver and unanimous first-team all-conference selection and an honorable mention All-American selection Tommy Alexander. Along with a true freshman running back Stephan Scott who produced 1,670 total yards garnering himself a second team all-conference selection.
Prior to his time at Bethel College, Murphy worked at Notre Dame College located in Cleveland, Ohio. There he served as the quarterback and tight end coach. Under his tutelage QB Ray Russ a first time starter became a leader in passing percentage and touchdowns in the GLIAC conference.
Coach Murphy attended school at Thomas Jefferson School of Law and served as quarterback coach and tight end coach at Grossmont Junior College, located in San Diego, Calif. There he worked with quarterbacks Ryan Woods (Arizona State University), Michael Karls (Midland University) and Chris Bonner (CSU Pueblo, who then went onto sign a Free-Agent Contract to play with the Carolina Panthers in 2014).
During his playing career Coach Murphy played quarterback at Grossmont College where he led 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, awarded to the top new players in the conference.
Coach 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.
Â
