It was April of '92. The bar had already been raised. There were new goals, greater challenges, and higher expectations for Viterbo men's basketball. For some, the pressure would be too much. But from day one, Coach Michael Murphy embraced the opportunity and met the challenge. 

"He knew what buttons to push to get guys to play hard," commented former All-American point guard, James Vacek. "He was a master at utilizing our strengths and exposing our opponent's weaknesses."           

With a fresh approach and nucleus of returners, Coach Murphy soon carved out his own identity in the history of Viterbo basketball. Murphy's overall winning percentage of 73% (71-26) still stands as the highest among any coach --of any sport--in the history of Viterbo athletics. During his 3 years, Murphy compiled a stellar 28-8 record in the conference, won all three Alumni Cup games vs. UW-L and also ended UW-Eau Claire's 16 year undefeated home winning streak in the NAIA District playoffs. 

Murphy's 1994-95 squad won the prestigious National Catholic Basketball Tournament, won the Midwest Classic Conference title, earned a "Sweet 16"appearance at the NAIA II National Tournament, had a school record 17 game winning streak and finished the season 27-7, ranked ninth in the nation.

"He was a great motivator and taught us to believe that if we played hard and played smart, we could win every game," commented former All-American Center Troy Wagner. "We had some talent, but he put the pieces together and made us successful."

In May of '95, Murphy moved on to the University of Alabama. While his stay was short, his impact was large.  By the time Michael Murphy left the bar had been raised again.