Murphy Will Not Pursue Navy Job

Harvard football coach Tim Murphy announced today that he was taking himself out of consideration for the head coaching position at Navy.

“I know there’s been a lot of speculation about me and the vacancy at Navy,” Murphy told The Crimson Thursday afternoon. “While the Navy job is intriguing, it’s not something I’m pursuing.”

Murphy, who led the Crimson football squad to a perfect 9-0 record and the Ivy League championship this year, confirmed that he had made another visit to Annapolis this past weekend, but said that ultimately he and his family decided to remain at Harvard.

“My family loves the Boston area, and did not want to leave Boston and Harvard. I love coaching here,” Murphy said.

Harvard Athletic Director Robert L. Scalise said that Murphy left him a voice message earlier in the day.

“It’s exactly what we hoped for,” Scalise said. “It’s made for a long week, but I’ve got a smile on my face.”

Reports in the past week said that Murphy was one of the leading candidates for the Navy job. But it appears most of that speculation was a bit off-target.

“Emotionally, I made the decision a week ago,” Murphy said.

Murphy is expected to make an official announcement later tonight at the New England Sports Writers’ Association’s annual awards banquet, where that organization will give him its Coach of the Year award.