Ryan Murphy has built a reputation as one of college golf’s most accomplished coaches, known not only for leading championship teams but also for mentoring players who have gone on to become some of the game’s brightest stars. Entering his second season at Baylor in 2025-26, Murphy’s career reflects more than two decades of excellence, player development, and program-building at the highest levels of collegiate golf.
Murphy came to Baylor in January 2025 after 10 seasons as the head coach of the University of Texas women’s golf program, where he elevated the Longhorns into perennial national contenders. Under his leadership, Texas captured five Big 12 Conference titles — including three straight from 2017-19, a first in program history — and made eight NCAA Championship appearances in nine opportunities. His teams advanced to match play three times in his final five seasons and finished among the nation’s top five in 2019, 2021, and 2023. Murphy himself earned four Big 12 Coach of the Year awards (2017–19, 2022) and was named the 2023 WGCA Central Region Coach of the Year.
His influence in Austin extended far beyond team results. Murphy coached players who left a lasting mark on the women’s program, including Kaitlyn Papp, a four-time All-American, and Sophia Schubert, who captured the 2017 U.S. Women’s Amateur title and earned her way onto the LPGA Tour. Under his guidance, Longhorn golfers shattered nearly every team and individual scoring record in school history, a testament to his ability to prepare athletes for the highest levels of competition.
Before taking over the women’s program, Murphy spent six seasons (2008–14) as an assistant with the Texas men’s team under John Fields. That era became one of the most significant stretches in program history, highlighted by the 2012 NCAA Championship — the Longhorns’ first national title in 40 years. Murphy played a central role in recruiting and developing a roster that became a pipeline to professional golf’s biggest stage.
During his tenure, he worked with future PGA Tour stars including Jordan Spieth, a three-time major champion; Scottie Scheffler, the two-time Masters champion and World No. 1; Doug Ghim, a Walker Cup star and PGA Tour professional; Dylan Frittelli, a European Tour and PGA Tour winner; Cody Gribble, a PGA Tour champion; along with Beau Hossler and Kramer Hickok. Their collective success is a reflection of the developmental foundation Murphy helped lay in Austin. His contributions were recognized nationally when he was honored as the 2013 Jan Strickland Assistant Coach of the Year, awarded to the nation’s top assistant coach.
Murphy’s coaching career began at his alma mater, the University of New Mexico, where he was an assistant from 2001–05. He helped the Lobos capture three straight Mountain West Conference titles and finish fifth at the 2005 NCAA Championship. From there, he became head coach at St. Edward’s University in Austin, where he led the Hilltoppers to national prominence at the Division II level. His 2008 squad tied for first at the NCAA Championships before falling just short in a playoff for the national title.
As a player himself, Murphy was a four-year letterwinner at New Mexico from 1994–97. Twice named an Academic All-American, he competed in four NCAA Championships and was part of the 1996 WAC Championship team that finished sixth nationally, the program’s best result in nearly two decades.
Now at Baylor, Murphy continues to bring that same ability to build programs, recruit elite talent, and mentor athletes who aspire to compete at the game’s highest levels. With a track record of producing both championship teams and world-class professionals, he remains one of the most respected figures in collegiate golf.
Murphy holds a bachelor’s degree in criminology (1997) and a master’s in sport administration (2001) from New Mexico. He and his wife, Terry, have two sons, Aiden and Jackson.
