Patrick Murphy: Building A Championship Culture

In today's world of collegiate athletics, few can claim to have been at a program since the beginning. Not many can say they were there at the origin of a program, having been present from the very inception to where it stands today. And certainly nobody can claim to have brought a program further, and in shorter time, than Alabama head softball coach Patrick Murphy, entering his 22nd season at the helm of the Crimson Tide.

From a humble start to a national championship, Murphy has taken Alabama to the top of the college softball world. Beginning with his days as an assistant in the very first years of the Alabama softball program, Murphy has emerged as the face of a team that has grown under his leadership to become one of the most consistently successful programs in the nation.

The accomplishments are there for everyone to see. A 2012 National Championship, 11 Women's College World Series berths, five SEC regular season titles, five SEC Tournament titles and 18-straight NCAA Tournament bids are only a few of the team honors that Murphy has brought to Tuscaloosa during his tenure.

The individual honors are equally as impressive. Tide players have earned All-America honors 98 times under Murphy's watch. He has tutored 94 All-SEC performers and 88 NFCA All-Region honorees. His teams have been just as successful in the classroom, with 21 CoSIDA Academic All-Americans and 198 SEC All-Academic selections.