Robinson Announces New Assistants

LANCASTER, Pa. - Franklin & Marshall basketball coach, Glenn Robinson, announced his new assistant coaches for the 2009-2010 season on Tuesday. Brian J. Murphy of Clinton, N.Y., and Christopher J. McMonagle of West Conshohocken, Pa. will join the NCAA Division III's most victorious coach on the bench.

Murphy brings 10 years of collegiate experience to the Mayser Center, including five years as the head coach at Morrisville State and several years as a Division I assistant. At Morrisville, Murphy guided the program through its transition from the junior college ranks into NCAA Division III. His 2005-2006 Mustangs posted a school record mark of 26-5.

"We were very fortunate to land two people with so much experience and enthusiasm for the game," said Robinson.

Prior to his stint in Morrisville, Murphy coached at Loyola College (Md.), serving as a full-time assistant for two seasons. At Loyola, he was responsible for team travel, film exchange, video editing, academic retention, scouting, recruiting, camps and a multitude of administrative tasks.

Murphy spent the 2001-02 season as an intern at West Virginia University (WVU) under legendary head coach Gale Catlett. At WVU, Murphy's duties included organizing camps, practices, game day operations and a number of administrative tasks.

Prior to WVU, Murphy spent the 2000-01 season at Bethany College (W. Va.) as an assistant coach. Murphy helped coach the Bison to the President Athletic Conference (PAC) title, their first winning season, and their first postseason appearance since 1982. Murphy got his coaching start as an assistant at Pomona-Pitzer in Southern California after graduating from Hamilton College. The Sagecocks reached the second round of the NCAA tournament that season for the first time in school history and Murphy's junior varsity team went unblemished.

The Clinton, N.Y. native played basketball at Hamilton College from 1995-99. His team advanced to the NCAA tournament each season he was on the roster and reached the Sweet Sixteen in his final two campaigns. His father, Tom Murphy, currently the associate head coach at Northeastern University, was the head coach at Hamilton at that time. He won 602 games in his 34 yards in Clinton. During the summer, Murphy and his father, along with Girogi Chavleishvili , were co-directors of the first basketball camp in the Republic of Georgia.

Murphy's brother, Michael, currently serves as an assistant coach at Columbia University. He is also the founder of the organization "Kids in the Game" which reaches out to the youth of New York City in several ways.

Murphy graduated in May 1999 from Hamilton College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in philosophy and a minor in art history. In April 2002 he earned a masters degree in physical education-athletic coaching from WVU. He fills the void left by the departure of Chris Rogers, who was tapped for the head coaching position at Marymount.

A standout at Eastern University, McMonagle had served the Eagles' staff since 2006 in several capacities both on and off of the court. McMonagle is an experienced recruiter with a solid background in fundraising and alumni outreach. He assisted in scouting and practice and game preparation as well.  

McMonagle served as Eastern's captain and on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee in 2005-2006. He earned the team's Best Defensive Player Award as a junior, and was dubbed the team's Most Improved Player as a sophomore.

Murphy and McMonagle will both start immediately. 14 of 16 players from the 2008-2009 roster return for the 2009-2010 season. Franklin & Marshall posted a record of 26-7, advancing to the Final Four for the fifth time in program history. The Diplomats have earned 20 NCAA appearances yielding a dozen Sweet 16 appearances and seven trips to the Elite Eight. F&M has won 15 conference championships and has produced 21 All-American honors.