Michael Charles Murphy (February 26, 1860 – June 4, 1913) was an American athletic trainer and coach at Yale University (1887–1889, 1892–1896, 1901–1905), Detroit Athletic Club (1889–1892), University of Michigan (1891), Villanova University (1894), University of Pennsylvania (1896–1901, 1905–1913), and the New York Athletic Club (1890–1900). He coached the American track athletes at the Summer Olympics in 1900, 1908, and 1912. He spent a year in approximately 1884 as the trainer of heavyweight boxing champion John L. Sullivan.
The Washington Post in 1913 called Murphy "the father of American track athletics." He was considered the premier athletic trainer of his era and was said to have "revolutionized the methods of training athletes and reduced it to a science." He is credited with establishing many innovative techniques for track and field, including the crouching start for sprinters.
Early years Accounts concerning Murphy's youth differ. He was born in February 1860 either in Southboro, Westboro or Natick, Massachusetts. He was the son of Irish immigrants, a man "of humble birth and scant education." Murphy's father had a reputation as an athlete, and Murphy's desire as a youth was to become a great athlete. He has been variously reported to have traveled the country participating in "six-day races" at the age of 20 and to have been a boxer and a minor league baseball player. Some accounts state that he was part of the world's champion Natick Hook and Ladder racing team of the early 1880s with Keene Fitzpatrick, Steve Farrell, Pooch Donovan, Piper Donovan, Johnny Mack and Sid Peet. According to his obituary in The Philadelphia Inquirer, "his ambition was to stand out prominently as a six-day pedestrian and at the age of eighteen he was out in the world trying to win fame and fortune on the tan bark track." Then, "after several years of grueling running indoors without anything but glory, Murphy branched out as a sprinter and baseball player."
At least one published report states that Murphy "was himself one of the greatest professional sprinters this country ever saw." Other accounts indicate that he never achieved great success as an athlete. A friend of Murphy, Pat Hurley, recalled that Murphy's days as a trainer began when Mike Finn, the fleetest professional sprinter in New England, received a letter from New Haven asking him to act as a trainer there. Finn reportedly joked to a group of athletes, "Let's send 'Stocky' Murphy." Because Murphy was not a champion among them, Finn's comments brought a "round of jeers." But Finn continued, "Never mind that, that fellow has a head on him that will get him more some day than our legs will." A Philadelphia sports writer later noted the "irony of fate" that Murphy had the talent to develop athletic prodigies though "nature did not deign to bless him with even an average physique." That writer described Murphy when they first met in 1895 as "a small, spare, even delicate-looking man, dressed in a plain suit."
Detroit Athletic Club As Yale gained supremacy in athletics, Murphy's fame spread, and in the fall of 1889, the Detroit Athletic Club hired him as the physical director and athletic coach for its members. Murphy remained in Detroit for three years, and while there, he developed a reputation for having a "sixth sense" in being able to spot athletic talent. His first discovery in Detroit was John Owen who went on to become the fastest sprinter in America. One newspaper account described Murphy's discovery of Owen as follows:John Owen, a member of the club, was playing tennis one afternoon when Murphy, in his methodical way, leaned over to watch the movements of the players. The action of Owen looked promising to Murphy. "Mr. Owen, why don't you be a sprinter?" he asked while the players were wiping off perspiration between acts. "I?" returned Owen. "Why, I couldn't run a lick." But Murphy insisted, and from that seeming guess work selection of a future great was developed John Owen, the first amateur sprinter to cover one hundred yards under ten seconds. Owen's time was 9-4/5 seconds. After Owen set the world's record of 9-4/5 seconds in the 100-yard dash, Owen focused his efforts on the 220- and 440-yard events. Murphy told the press in 1891 that he was "confident that Owen will be able to create new records for both these distances next summer." While in Detroit, Murphy also discovered Harry M. Jewett, Owen's successor as America's greatest sprinter. He also coached the father of 1912 sprinting gold medalist, Ralph Craig. When Murphy became ill in 1913, the Detroit Athletic Club presented Murphy with a touring car in gratitude for his service.
Father of American track athletics
Fifteen intercollegiate championships with 21 teams In 1892, Murphy returned to Yale where he served as coach and trainer of the track team and trainer of the football team. Over the next 11 years, Murphy moved back-and-forth between Yale (1892–1896, 1901–1905) and the University of Pennsylvania (1896–1901, 1905–1913). After turning Yale into the dominant power in track and field, Murphy brought immediate success to Penn when he moved there in 1896. In his first season at Penn, the school captured the intercollegiate track championship, scoring 34 points to defeat Yale, and finished with 24.5 points. Of the 21 indoor and outdoor track teams coached by Murphy during this time, 15 of them won the intercollegiate championships—eight at Penn and seven at Yale. And on the six occasions when his teams did not finish first, they finished second on four occasions and third and fourth once each. Wherever Murphy went as a coach he put in place a solid back-up team of assistant coaches and rubbers. Over the years these included George Orton, Mike Dee and Jimmy Curran. Many went on to achieve great success coaching college and high school athletics.
For his contributions during these years, The Washington Post in 1913 called Murphy "the father of American track athletics." He was considered "the greatest coach of track men and trainer of men in other branches of sport that America had ever known."
Champions trained by Murphy In addition to his success in coaching the Yale and Penn teams to championships, Murphy also developed an unparalleled reputation for finding and training individual champions. Between 1892 and 1900, he reportedly developed nearly every American track champion:America owes to none other than "Mike" Murphy her winning of the supremacy of track athletics from England, who, twenty years ago, was considered unbeatable on the cinder path. In the eight years intervening between 1892 and 1900, the period in which America made her most gigantic strides in track athletics, "Mike" Murphy developed every champion of the spiked shoe in America except Hollister, of Harvard, and it was these champions developed by him that first put America on the map of the athletic world. As of 1908, athletes coached by Murphy held 8 of the 14 recognized intercollegiate track and field records, and had also held the records in the pole vault and shot put until 1907.
In addition to his discovery of Owen in Detroit, Murphy's discovery of Maxie Long is another oft-cited example of Murphy's ability to recognize and develop raw talent. Long, who became the country's top quarter-miler, was a bicycle rider when Murphy discovered him. Murphy coaxed him into sprinting, and on seeing Long run his first spring, Murphy reportedly declared, "I have discovered a champion."
Alvin Kraenzlein was another talent developed by Murphy. When Kraenzlein began training with Murphy, he was a hurdler, but not a sprinter. Murphy trained Kraenzlein as a sprinter, and he became a champion the 100-yard dash and won an Olympic gold medal in the 60-yard dash.
Olympics Starting in 1890, Murphy also spent 11 consecutive summers coaching many of the country's top athletes at the New York Athletic Club's summer facilities on Travers Island. having led the American athletes to successes in international competitions during the 1890s, Murphy was selected as the coach and trainer of the American teams at the Olympics in 1900, 1908, and 1912.
1900 games in Paris At the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris, there was no official American team, and several universities sent athletes and coaches to represent the United States. Murphy took 13 Penn athletes and others from the New York Athletic Club to Paris. The U.S. athletes won 16 of the 23 gold medals in track and field, and the Penn Olympians won 11 gold medals, 8 silver and 4 bronze. Murphy's student, Alvin Kraenzlein won four individual gold medals in the 60-meter dash, 110-meter hurdles, 200-meter hurdles, and long jump.
1908 games in London At the 1908 Summer Olympics in London, Murphy was placed in charge of the entire American team, not just his own Penn athletes. On the trip across the Atlantic Ocean, Murphy was always jovial, leading the men in light exercise in which the athletes were "made to feel that it was merely play." Murphy was "the life of the team," keeping the men busy "having fun all the time." On arriving in London, Murphy concluded that "the awful London fog and rain" and the crowd of athletes training at the same hours in the stadium was not ideal. Accordingly, Murphy demanded that the American team be moved to Brighton, England, where there was a "better chance to see the sun." When the team manager demurred about the expense of a move, Murphy insisted that the team would go to Brighton "if I have to pay their way." The American team dominated the track and field competition in London, winning 16 gold medals, with all other countries combined winning the remaining 11 gold medals.
After the American victory in London, newspapers credited Murphy as the man behind the dominance of American track and field athletes. One newspaper account reported:In an effort to find a reason for the great superiority of American athletes, English sportsmen have finally concluded that this superiority is entirely due to the high development to which the Yankees have brought the science of training. This is better than to acknowledge that the manhood of Great Britain has deteriorated. The American athletes explain it by simply saying "Mike Murphy," for Mike is the kingpin of the profession, and every trainer in American follows as closely as he can the methods of the man who has developed more champions than any other man in the world. When the American team returned from London, President Theodore Roosevelt hosted them at his Sagamore Hill home on Long Island, and singled out Murphy for special recognition. As U.S. Olympic Committee Chairman James Sullivan introduced Murphy to the President, Roosevelt interrupted: "We don't have to be introduced. I am might glad to see you. He is an American institution; and we are all glad to meet Mike." Upon their return, the American team also presented Murphy with a silver loving cup in gratitude for his efforts.
1912 games in Stockholm By the time of the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm, Murphy was already ill with tuberculosis, and his illness was reported to have "thrown a scare into those interested in the welfare of the American track and field team." He was nevertheless selected as the coach of the American team and accompanied the team to Stockholm with assistance from Lawson Robertson. It was reported that the long trip had an adverse effect on his health, and he died less than a year later. In Stockholm, the Americans again dominated the track and field competition, winning 16 of 32 possible gold medals, and 42 of 94 total medals.