Ray Murphree excelled at what he loved doing: Coaching basketball

(Ray Murphree will be awarded the Harley Redin Coach's Award during ceremonies at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 23 in the Laney Center, at which time Mark Adams, Kirby Dunn, Daniel Franklin, Serenity King, Kristina Edwards Lee, Joe Lombard, Dr. Claude Lusk, Don Christa & Caren Smith, and Jodie Young will be inducted into the WBU Athletics Hall of Honor. A continental breakfast begins at 8:30. The public is invited).

The old saying, "Choose a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life" is certainly true for Ray Murphree.

"I never felt like I had to go to work. I got to do what I wanted," Murphree said of his successful coaching career that spanned 45 years and teaching career that is at 46 years and counting.

But Murphree almost didn't become a coach, or attend Wayland Baptist University. Instead, he had plans to attend Texas Tech and major in electrical engineering.

"I was accepted and had a dorm room reserved at Texas Tech. Then in the spring (of 1967) before graduation from Friona High School I was given a chance to walk on for the Pioneers," recalled Murphree, an all-district player for the Friona Chieftans whose older cousin, Danny, already was attending Wayland on a track scholarship. (Danny served as Wayland's executive director of property management before recently transitioning into a part-time position as manager of university farms and estates. He was inducted into the WBU Athletics Hall of Honor in 1994.)

Ray Murphree said he had a desire to play basketball in college and thought he would for two years at Wayland before transferring to Tech to finish his degree. His career plans changed, however, and while attending Wayland he decided to become a teacher and coach.

A "back-up player" for the Pioneers under head coach Cliff Ozmun and later Bob Clindaniel, Murphree said being a 6-foot, 2 ½-inch forward "was kind of tough, and I wasn't a good enough ball-handler to be a guard."

But he drew the attention of Clindaniel, who thought enough of Murphree to allow him to help coach.

"Coach Clindaniel didn't have an assistant, so he gave me the opportunity to be a student-coach," Murphree said. "I coached the freshman team in the 10 or so games we got to play and assisted with the varsity. It was experience that was invaluable."

Murphree, who earned his degree in physical education and math, said Clindaniel was easy to talk to and truly enjoyed coaching.

"I saw that to him it wasn't a job but something he truly enjoyed, so that was encouraging to me," he said.

So Murphree, the son of an electrician/air conditioning repairman father and church secretary mother, somewhat hesitantly decided to follow in Clindaniel's footsteps and become a coach.

"When you're in college and looking for the thing you want to do for a career, you're never absolutely sure. But I loved being around sports. I was always a gung-ho sports guy," Murphree said. "It was just the way the Lord led me."

It proved to be exactly the right decision.

After graduating Wayland in 1971 with a Bachelor of Science degree, Murphree started out as an assistant boys' basketball and baseball coach at Borger, then did the same thing – plus help with football – at Henderson Junior College (now Trinity Valley Community College) in Athens, Texas. His first head coaching position was at Waco Midway High School, then Cypress Creek near Houston, back to Borger and finally Houston Memorial High School.

In 25 years as a high school boys' head basketball coach, Murphree's teams combined for a 478-322 record while winning eight district titles and a regional championship.

"I was blessed to have some good players and had a very enjoyable career," Murphree said.

Murphree was deeply involved with the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches, even serving as president in the mid-1980s.

"The TABC gave me the chance to serve the great game of basketball and my profession," Murphree said.

During his tenure, the TABC lobbied the University Interscholastic League to relax restrictions on how high school athletes are able to compete in the summer.

"The UIL was so anti-anything organized in the summer, but we had a big hand in going before them to allow kids to play in the summer. We worked for a few years on that."

Also while president of the TABC, Murphree was part of a committee that convinced the NCAA to award the Final Four to Dallas.

"One of my pleasant memories was getting to play a small part in getting the Final Four to Texas for the first time. A large committee from Dallas, headed by Dallas Mavericks general manager Norm Sonju, asked me to make a presentation in front of the NCAA selection committee in Indianapolis. That was quite an experience to go in front of them."

Dallas wasn't the favorite, but the city was chosen to host the Final Four in 1986.

"Texas has been a major part of the tournament ever since," Murphree said.

Murphree somewhat unexpectedly retired from coaching in 2005.

"There wasn't a particular reason, I just felt like it was time. I wasn't planning on it being my last year. I just knew.

"I loved every minute of (coaching)," he said, adding with a chuckle, "I thought it would take a little longer to get this old."

To Murphree, who continues to teach math at Houston Memorial, many aspects of coaching mirror life.

"You work hard and, most of the time, it works out that you're successful. When you aren't it teaches you how to react and come back even stronger."

Murphree said he stressed the importance of doing the right thing, cooperation and having a good work ethic to all of his players.

"I wanted my teams to play hard and play together. We wanted to make it a team effort. The main thing was to give your best and sacrifice for your teammates."

Murphree feels one of his greatest attributes as a coach, and a teacher, is a short memory.

"I was blessed with the ability to forget. If somebody messes up or does something wrong, but they really work hard to correct that, I'll look at the positive of the situation instead of the negative. You have to be able to reward good behavior."

Looking back at his career choice and how he got there, Murphree, a former deacon at Metropolitan Baptist Church in Houston, said he has no regrets.

"In hindsight, getting to Wayland was part of God's plan for my life. Wayland was the perfect place for me, and I have been blessed beyond anything I could have wished for," he said.

Besides being instilled with the desire to become a coach at Wayland, Murphree also met his wife, Cheryl Martin, a retired teacher's aide, in freshman English class. Ray and Cheryl have been married for 45 years and have two children, Marsha and Jason, and four grandchildren.

"Coaching and teaching was, without a doubt, what I was supposed to do. I have been so blessed to be a part of this profession and I truly love it. I have been a part of the lives of almost 6,000 young people that God allowed me to teach and coach."

Murphree said he is honored to receive the Harley Redin Coach's Award.

"What Coach Redin means to basketball, the name itself is such an honor. And the group that's already received the award is special. I feel very grateful for the recognition."
  2000: Joe Lombard
2001: Marsha Sharp
2002: Rick Cooper
2003: Danny Wrenn
2008: Marsha Porter
2012: Chris Kennedy
2017: Ray Murphree