Andrew Sauer, North Central Sports Information
NAPERVILLE, Ill. -- The North Central College athletic department has announced the hiring of Mike Murray as the head coach of the men's golf program, Murray will also continue his role as defensive coordinator on the football coaching staff.
"I want to thank athletic director Jim Miller for the opportunity," said Murray, "he has created an environment for success on campus and we want to bring that success to the men's golf program. I am glad he has the confidence in me to get the program back to a level of success."
Murray will replace Lloyd Krumlauf, who is retiring after his second stint as head coach the last six seasons.
"I would also like to thank Lloyd Krumlauf for the work he has done over his many years at North Central," said Murray. "Lloyd has been a big part of this College for many years and has held many positions during his career. He is a very proud, loyal alum and I wish him the best of luck in retirement."
Murray is no stranger to the level of competition in the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW), serving as head men's golf coach at Illinois Wesleyan University from 1991-94, while also serving as head track and field coach as well as the defensive coordinator for the football program during that time.
Illinois Wesleyan has won 11 of the last 14 CCIW Championships dating back to 2001 and Murray is well aware of his alma mater's continued success in men's golf.
"Illinois Wesleyan has set the bar high, so we know what he have to do to catch them atop the CCIW," said Murray, "and it has forced everyone in the conference to look at how we can improve and give our players a more competitive experience. Every time someone in the conference raises the bar, it forces us to increase our level of play."
Murray will focus on collaborating with assistant coach Steve Sellers who has experience working with the team over the last two seasons, while getting to know the current team and recruiting student-athletes for the 2015-16 season.
"Creating a staff to partner with the program to raise it to the next level is very important, and Steve Sellers brings a wealth of knowledge to the coaching staff with his extensive experience," said Murray.
A 1984 graduate of Illinois Wesleyan, Murray played football and baseball for four years before graduating with a bachelor's degree in business administration. He earned Honorable Mention All-CCIW honors as a tight end in football in 1983 and currently ranks 25th in IWU history in career and single-season receptions. He finished his collegiate baseball career with a .330 batting average, earning All-CCIW accolades in 1983 and 1984.
The College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) was founded in 1946 and currently services eight member institutions including Augustana College (Rock Island, IL), Carthage College (Kenosha, WI), Elmhurst College (Elmhurst, IL), Illinois Wesleyan University (Bloomington, IL), Millikin University (Decatur, IL), North Central College (Naperville, IL), North Park University (Chicago, IL) and Wheaton College (Wheaton, IL). During the 2012-13 academic year, the CCIW honored over 1,400 academic all-conference recipients, 15 College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-Americans, 30 CoSIDA Academic All-District recipients, 68 all-Americans and one national championship team.