UH eyes Arizona State baseball coach

Arizona State head baseball coach Pat Murphy could make an announcement as soon as Monday regarding his interest in the University of Hawai‘i coaching position, The Advertiser has learned.

Arizona State baseball coach Pat Murphy is set to meet with his athletic director today to discuss his future plans. Arizona State photo

Murphy was scheduled to meet with ASU’s athletic director Eugene Smith today. Murphy addressed his players yesterday before practice, according to a member of the ASU baseball staff. He did not return telephone calls after practice.

Murphy is known to have met with UH representatives, but it was not immediately known if he was offered the job.

The Sun Devils (12-2) are ranked fourth in the USA TODAY/ESPN coaches poll and fifth by Baseball America.

The Arizona Republic reported in yesterday’s editions that Murphy was approached by UH, but did not apply for the position.

Candidates for the job did not need to apply, but could be nominated. The practice is supposed to protect candidates from revealing to their employers their interest in another job.

Smith was aware of Murphy’s situation, the Arizona Republic reported.

Murphy, 42, is in his seventh season at ASU, compiling a 244-125 record entering this season. But it was at Notre Dame where he developed his reputation because of the way he turned the Fighting Irish into a Top 20 program. He was 318-116-1, taking his team to three regionals in his seven seasons. He brought the Fighting Irish here for a two-game series against UH in 1990. The Rainbows won both games.

In 16 season as a head coach, including two at Claremont-Mudd Scripps (Calif.) and one at Maryville (Tenn.), he is 618-296-3, making him the winningest active coach younger than 43 at any collegiate level, according to the ASU media guide.

Murphy was Pac-10 Coach of the Year last season and Baseball America’s national Coach of the Year in 1998, when the Sun Devils reached the final of the College World Series.

He is considered a good recruiter. Twenty-four ASU signees for the 2001 season were among Baseball America’s top 250 high school players. Eight were drafted in the first seven rounds of the 2000 draft. Among them was Advertiser all-state Pitcher of the Year Kahi Kaanoi of Kamehameha, who signed with the Kansas City Royals after they made him their seventh-round pick last year.

Murphy has one player from Hawai‘i on his current roster. Kamehameha graduate Jonah Martin is a senior outfielder. He is a transfer from Los Angeles City College.

During Murphy’s tenure at ASU, 59 players have been drafted or signed undrafted free agent contracts.

The other reported finalists, Georgia Tech assistant Mike Trapasso and Louisiana State assistant Henry "Turtle" Thomas did not immediately return messages left by The Advertiser.

UH athletic director Hugh Yoshida has asked those interviewed not to comment to the media.

Trapasso and Thomas were ranked first and second, respectively, as assistant coaches who look like the best candidates to take head coaching jobs with major programs, according to a Baseball America story.

Dave "Boy" Eldredge, a Punahou graduate and Hawai‘i Pacific University head coach from 1990-’95, said he interviewed Jan. 15, but has not heard from UH since.

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