Husson announced it is promoting Sean Murphy to the head football coach position. The move came shortly after Niles Nelson announced that he had been fired after two seasons. 

Husson went 1-9 this past season, opening the year with three consecutive losses to strong programs, Otterbein, Springfield and Salisbury, by the combined score of 173-7. In 2008, Husson finished the regular season 7-2, 7-0 against Division III teams, but did not get a playoff bid because of its low strength of schedule.

Murphy served as associate head coach for the 2010 season and will take the helm effective immediately. He will continue to serve as assistant athletic director.

“It is a great honor for me to accept the head football coaching position at Husson. I would like to express my deepest gratitude to president Bob Clark and athletic director Bob Reasso for having faith in me to present such a wonderful opportunity and challenge,” Murphy said. “My family and I have been welcomed by the Husson community and I cannot overstate our enthusiasm about coming back to our home state of Maine to further develop an evolving football program.”

Murphy has a broad-based Division III coaching resume, having coached at Dickinson, Bowdoin and Plymouth State. At Dickinson, he served as co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach. Murphy helped Dickinson to an NCAA playoff appearance in 2006, as well as two Centennial Conference championships (2004, 2006). In 2007, Murphy helped coach his team to an ECAC Southwest Bowl Championship. Under his tutelage, six student athletes received All-Conference honors as well as Centennial Conference Defensive Player of the Year, All-American, Aztec Bowl participant and Gagliardi Trophy finalist. Murphy also served as head football coach at the Bullis School in Potomac, Md.

Murphy said: “I have great faith in the young men who are in our program already and while we will make concerted recruiting efforts, it is imperative that we take care of our current student-athletes and make them better. We are creating not only a competitive football program, but also a family. As such, we are looking to attract talented student-athletes who are committed to building a unique environment for growth and competition.”

“We are delighted to announce Sean as our head football coach. Sean is a man of great enthusiasm, integrity, and passion for his players and coaching,” Reasso said. “We decided to move very quickly with this decision because a great deal of football recruiting takes place in the next couple of months. Sean and his staff are now positioned to make the most of this opportunity by getting on the road tomorrow to spread their new vision for our program. I have great confidence in Sean and his ability to foster a strong culture of student success and not only turn our program around, but to take it to new heights.”

The Eliot, Maine, native attended Plymouth State, where he earned an undergraduate degree in physical education and lettered all four years in football and lacrosse. Murphy earned First-Team All-Conference football honors in 1998 and 1999. In lacrosse, he was First-Team All-League as a senior tri-captain. Murphy received a masters degree from California (Pa.) in exercise science and health promotion and is also certified as a strength and conditioning specialist.