Former Longwood shortstop and four-time All-Big South selection
Emily Murphy has rejoined the Lancer softball coaching staff as an assistant coach, two-time Big South Coach of the Year
Kathy Riley announced.
Murphy, who worked with the Lancers during a 2017 season that culminated in an appearance in the NCAA Knoxville Regional Championship, will work primarily with the middle infielders and assist with hitting instruction.
"Adding Emily makes the softball coaching staff stronger, she will be a great benefit to our student-athletes and coaches," Riley said. "Emily is a highly organized coach and has tremendous desire to affect the lives of our softball student-athletes. We will put her in charge of our middle infield and she will assist me with hitting.
"It's a great day for Longwood when we can welcome one of our own back home."
A native of Virginia Beach, Va., Murphy returns to Longwood after spending the 2018 season as an assistant coach at Norfolk State, aiding the Spartans to their second MEAC Championship game berth in program history, along with the most wins since the 2013 season.
"I'm excited and honored to be back at Longwood and on the softball staff," Murphy said. "I'm grateful for the opportunity to be working under Coach Riley again, as she will help me develop as a young coach and get me to where I want to go in my coaching career."
The former four-time All-Big South honoree began her coaching career with Longwood in 2017 on the heels of a four-year career in the middle of the Longwood infield. Murphy aided the Lancers to their second consecutive NCAA Regional Championship berth in the Knoxville Regional, beating the likes of Big Ten powerhouse Ohio State and USC Upstate. During that season, Longwood won 12 of their final 14 games throughout the end of the regular season and the Big South Tournament hosted in Farmville to earn a third consecutive NCAA Tournament berth.
A 2016 graduate of Longwood, Murphy was a four-year starter for the Lancers, leading the blue and white to three Big South Championships to go along with two regular season crowns and three appearances in the NCAA Tournament. Murphy helped Longwood win three games in the NCAA Tournament throughout her career, including victories over ACC foes North Carolina and Virginia Tech.
Part of the winningest class in program history, Murphy, along with current assistant coach
Carly Adams and
Jamie Barbour, accumulated 155 career victories while playing on the only three 40-win seasons in the history of the program. Murphy spurred Longwood's run to the 2016 NCAA Harrisonburg Regional Championship game with highlight-reel plays with her bat and glove.
She's one of 17 players in Big South history to earn all-conference honors in each of her four seasons, which includes first team honors in her final three seasons in the blue and white.
Patrolling the middle of the Longwood infield at shortstop for all 233 games of her illustrious career, Murphy posted a career .309 batting average and ranks in the top-five of the program's record books in home runs, runs scored, RBI, and stolen bases.
