Alabama head coach Patrick Murphy was officially enshrined in the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame on Saturday as part of the organization’s Class of 2022.
Upon his induction, Murphy became the first-ever member of the Hall of Fame from the sport of softball.
“I can’t thank everyone from the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame enough,” Murphy said in a statement released by the school. “It’s an incredible honor. This kind of thing doesn’t happen to a guy from a small town in Iowa. Congrats to everyone else honored tonight. When I started this job, I wanted to accomplish four things. I wanted to have a family atmosphere, I wanted a team full of servant leaders, I wanted a team that was full of ‘mudita’ and I wanted everyone on the team to have an attitude of gratitude. To whom much is given, much is expected in return.”
Murphy has been the architect of the Alabama softball program since 1997, including leading the Crimson Tide to their first-ever national title in 2012. He has guided the Crimson Tide to 22 consecutive NCAA tournament appearances and thirteen Women’s College World Series berths. He is a five-time SEC Coach of the Year.
In 2013, a year following his national championship at the helm of the Crimson Tide, Murphy was inducted into the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Hall of Fame.
Just hours prior to his induction on Saturday, Murphy guided the Crimson Tide to a come-from-behind 3-1 win over Missouri in Rhoads Stadium. A number of Murphy’s players at Alabama attended the induction ceremony to celebrate their head coach.
