WTHS Athletic Director Kevin Murphy Named Recipient of the DAANJ Sectional Award of Merit
Washington Township Athletic Director Kevin Murphy will finally collect the hardware for a distinction that he earned some 18 months ago when he is among honorees at the 60th Directors of Athletics Association of New Jersey, Inc. (DAANJ) Awards Banquet on Thursday, July 15, 2021, at the Bella Vista Country Club in Marlboro, NJ. Murphy was named as the 2020 Sectional Award Winner of Merit for South Jersey.
The award ceremony, which was postponed by COVID, will recognize the following sectional winners:
Dave Salberg Sectional Award of Merit
North 1- Chris Carroll (Kittatinny)
North 2- Bill Librera (Chatham)
Central – Dan Uszaki (Northern Burlington)
South- Kevin Murphy (Washington Township)
“Your school district and community should be very proud of this prestigious honor,” wrote David G. Frazier chair of the DAANJ Sectional Award of Merit selection committee. “Your outstanding achievements, dedication to student-athletes and professionalism throughout your career as an athletic administrator have led to this acknowledgement by the DAANJ.”
“Mr. Murphy is most deserving of this recognition, and we are very proud of him,” WTHS principal Jonathan Strout said. “Always leading by example, he works long hours, late nights and weekends to help ensure the safety and success of our student-athletes and to help deliver the positive school experience that high school athletic opportunities provide for our student-athletes. The impact of his leadership as an administrator in our building, and in our District, extends far beyond the realm of just our award-winning athletic programs. Mr. Murphy’s dedication to our school and community helps us to support all our students, even those who are not student-athletes. Beyond our community, he is very well-respected by his peers who often seek input from him to assist them with the important work they all do.”
The 2011-12 Olympic Conference Athletic Director of the Year, Murphy began his WTHS tenure in the fall of 2002, with more than 16 years of collegiate and interscholastic athletic experiences. At WTHS, he directs one of the largest high school athletic programs in New Jersey with 31 varsity sports programs and more than 1,000 student-athletes. In addition to receiving numerous sportsmanship awards from the New Jersey Interscholastic Athletic Association, WTHS teams have enjoyed unprecedented success at the Olympic Conference, County, Sectional and State Championship level during his tenure. Also, more than 800 student-athletes have continued their academic and athletic careers at the collegiate level since 2002. In 2003, Murphy played a pivotal role in implementing the most extensive development of the school’s athletic facilities, with the addition of two turf fields and all new track and field facilities. He also instituted Stanford University’s Positive Coaching Alliance sportsmanship program with the WTHS Athletic program in 2010.
Murphy served as President of the Olympic Conference from 2007-09, and he has served on conference sports committees in basketball, soccer, softball, cheerleading, football, track and field, cross country and gymnastics. He has been part of the conference’s administrative committees for budget, sportsmanship, planning, membership, scheduling and constitution. Murphy also is a founding member and chair of the West Jersey Football League, as well as an NJSIAA committee member for soccer, a League of Leagues representative, and a site director for sectional and state championship events.
A graduate of Ursinus College with a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology, and concentrations in Biology and Athletic Training, Murphy completed his graduate degree at Rider University, earning a Master’s in Administration. He owns State Department of Education Certifications in Principal/Supervisor/Superintendent, and National Certification as an Athletic Administrator. Murphy served in a variety of high school administrative capacities – including Vice Principal, Director of Athletics, and Supervisor of Health and Physical Education – at both Jonathon Dayton High School, in Springfield, N.J., and Hopewell Valley Central High School.
Murphy coached collegiate basketball at Rider University, Brandywine College of Widener University, and Drexel University for 14 seasons. During his time at Widener, he served as the Assistant Dean of Students and Associate Director of Athletics for the Delaware campus. Murphy is a native of Yonkers, N.Y., and has resided in Washington Township with his wife, Ginny Migliore-Murphy, and their sons, Ryan and Matthew, since 1991.