U-M's Molly Murray Named Assistant Coach at Butler
5/21/1999 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Former University of Michigan forward and volunteer assistant basketball coach Molly Murray (Grand Rapids, Mich.) was hired as the third assistant on the Butler University women's basketball coaching staff Thursday (May 20). Murray, who received her bachelor's degree from Michigan in April 1999, lettered on four Wolverine basketball teams (1995-98) and served as a volunteer coach in 1998-99 while completing her undergraduate requirements.
At Butler, Murray will be in charge of the summer camps, running the shooting and fundamental camps. She will also be responsible for scouting and practice planning, and will be in charge of recruiting through the remainder of the summer.
"Butler is a great school to start my coaching career, for a number of reasons," Murray stated. "It was comfortable, it's a good fit for me. I have an opportunity to work with a head coach and staff that is going to help make me the best coach I can be. Butler and Hinkle Fieldhouse are just so historical. Being in the state of Indiana, it goes without saying that there is a strong basketball tradition.
"Recruiting will be the most valuable experience for me," she continued. "Because Kathy (Marx), the second assistant, won't be there this summer, I have an opportunity to gain a tremendous amount of experience in that area."
Murray will join first-year head coach Wendy Gatlin's staff on June 2. Gatlin previously served as an assistant coach at the University of Iowa for two years. She played two seasons at the University of North Carolina before graduating from Marshall University. Ohio State University graduate Leanna Coutts will serve as Gatlin's top assistant after assisting at Ohio University. A University of Iowa alumna, Kathy Marx will be the No. 2 assistant coach at Butler.
"Molly did a tremendous job with us last year of crossing the line from being a player to becoming a coach," said Michigan head coach Sue Guevara. "She relates well to the kids, she has a good mind for the game, and is exactly the type of former player who will be a good role model for the players at Butler.
"She's been around top-caliber players and programs," Guevara added. "She's the sort of kid you want to stay in coaching because she'll give back to the game."
As a player for Michigan, Murray set school records with 134 career three-pointers and six triples in one game, which she just so happened to set in Butler's Hinkle Fieldhouse at the 1996 Big Ten Tournament. Her 844 career points rank 16th all-time at Michigan, while her 42.2 percent three-point shooting in 1997-98 ranks fourth in the season record book.
As a senior in 1997-98, Murray was named to the all-Big Ten Tournament team with a 25-point performance in a semifinal overtime game against Penn State, hitting 9-of-13 shots and 5-of-8 from long range. She was also named to the 1998 Honorable Mention All-Big Ten team.
A native of Grand Rapids, Mich., Murray graduated from Catholic Central High School. She was a Street & Smith's Honorable Mention All-American and was USA Today's top player in the state of Michigan in 1994.
