Harvard coach Tim Murphy retires after 30 seasons

Harvard coach Tim Murphy said Wednesday he is retiring after 30 years on the job.

He took over the program in 1994 following stops at Maine and Cincinnati and has a 200-89 record with the Crimson, 232-134-1 overall. He is the winningest coach in both overall wins and conference wins in Ivy League history and has led Harvard to 10 league titles, including in 2023.

"It has been an incredible honor to be the football coach at Harvard, and I am forever grateful to have been blessed to work with so many amazing people starting with the 1,000 student-athletes and 80-plus assistant coaches during our tenure here," said Murphy, 67, a Massachusetts native, in a news release. "Sometimes, at the end of your career someone will ask, 'Do you have any regrets?' And my simple answer is no, because in any endeavor, any relationship, if you give it absolutely everything you have, there can be no regrets."

Prior to Murphy's arrival, Harvard hadn't won more than eight games in a season since 1919.

"Harvard has 150 years of football history and Tim Murphy led the most successful era of its entirety in his 30 seasons," athletic director Erin McDermott said. "His name will forever be linked with Harvard Football in an exalted manner because of the sustained team success, coaching milestones achieved and the measure of his character and work ethic. Coach Murphy changed Ivy League football upon his entry, and we are all better for it."

Under Murphy, the Crimson finished .500 or better 23 times, including perfect seasons in 2001 (9-0), 2004 (10-0) and 2014 (10-0).

Harvard said it will immediately begin a national search for its next head coach.

—Field Level Media