Perhaps no one person has had as much influence on Middle Tennessee State University’s athletics as Charles “Bubber” Murphy. As a player, coach and ultimately, athletic director, his contributions to the school are many. As a student in the mid-1930s, Murphy was a sports dynamo, lettering in football, basketball, baseball, and tennis. As a gridiron star, he became the school’s first Little All-American. In basketball, he was leading scorer. And on the baseball diamond, he was good enough to eventually play AAA ball with Jersey City, a member of the New York Giant organization. Murphy’s coaching career began in 1938 when he lead the football team at Goodlettsville High School. After a stint in the Navy and a master’s degree from Peabody College, Murphy returned to his alma mater as head football coach and athletic director in 1947. He remained as head coach until 1969. During his coaching tenure, Murphy provided Blue Raider fans with some of the finest teams in the nation. Before entering the Ohio Valley Conference in 1958, Murphy’s teams captured seven Volunteer State Athletic Conference championships. As members of the OVC, his squads were champions or co-champions seven times, and participated in four bowl games. An OVC Coach of the Year, Murphy compiled an impressive record of 155-63-8 while at MTSU. In recognition of his awesome contributions, MTSU named its 12,000 seat field house the “Charles M. Murphy Athletic Center.” A fitting tribute to a great athlete, coach, and administrator.
