Samuel Murphy was named the Head Coach of the Men's and Women's Tennis programs in the Fall of 2022. Murphy, a former player in the OUAZ program, returns to Surprise after a stint at Biola University as an assistant coach.  Â
"I'm so excited to get the opportunity to be a part of OUAZ once again and lead the tennis programs as head coach," Murphy said. "The men's and women's teams have had some very successful seasons in the past, and I hope to achieve that same success while I'm here. I have many great memories from attending OUAZ as a student, so to come back and serve as the tennis coach is truly a blessing."
Murphy is in his third year as the head coach of both OUAZ Tennis programs. Murphy was the Men’s and Women’s assistant coach from 2020-2022 at Biola University in La Miranda, Calif. During his time there, he saw Top-50 national rankings from both teams, multiple individual national rankings, and an ITA Singles Champion on the men’s side. In his last season with Biola, the Eagle men finished 18-9 and qualified for the NCAA DII West Regionals, while the women finished 21-6, marking their best record in program history. Murphy is looking to bring all of that experience and knowledge he learned at the DII level and bring it back to his alma mater.
As a player, Murphy helped his high school team reach the CIF Southern Section Division 5 semifinals and won a singles league MVP in 2016. He spent two years at Riverside City College and was part of teams that won 10 matches or more both years. Riverside City College posted an incredible 19-3 record when Murphy was a sophomore, winning an OEC conference championship and advancing to the CCCAA SoCal Regional Semifinals.
OUAZ also had a successful campaign during Murphy's first year playing in Surprise, giving him more first-hand experience of what it takes to be successful in the NAIA. While playing for the Spirit, the men's program advanced to the Golden State Athletic Conference championship match and the National Christian College Athletic Association championship match while beating multiple ranked teams at the NAIA level during that same season.
Murphy is a Southern California native who graduated from Alta Loma High School. He holds a B.A. in Exercise Science from OUAZ, along with an MBA from Biola University.
