Upon Murphy's retirement, the athletic director's position at Hamilton will be named "The Thomas E. Murphy Director of Athletics." In the interim, the income from the endowed fund will be used to support the current operations of the athletic program.Already, Withiam said, $1.4 million has been pledged to endow the directorship, including a $700,000 challenge from an anonymous donor. To receive the challenge funds, Hamilton must raise an equal amount, which will bring the total value of the endowment to $2.1 million.
"Tom Murphy is a strong advocate for Hamilton's student-athletes and an excellent ambassador for Hamilton College," Withiam said. "He is richly deserving of this honor. We hope the college will benefit from his administrative and coaching expertise for many years to come."
Withiam presided over a special tribute to Murphy, who was recognized for coaching his 500th basketball victory earlier this season. The victory over Union College on Jan. 23 made Murphy only the 12th Division III coach in the nation to reach the 500-win plateau, and placed him within an elite circle of coaches who have claimed at least 500 career wins coaching at any collegiate level.
The men's basketball coach at Hamilton since 1970, Murphy was named director of athletics in 1979. At the time, the college fielded 21 varsity teams, 11 for men and seven for women. Over the past 20 years, Murphy has guided an expansion of the intercollegiate athletics program so that the college now sponsors 14 sports for men and 14 for women. The latter figure represents a 100 percent increase in 20 years.
In addition to the number of intercollegiate teams, there are nearly 600 varsity athletes at Hamilton and hundreds more students who participate in the intramural and club sports programs. The college's extensive athletic facilities range from the nation's first indoor collegiate hockey rink, the architecturally renowned William M. Bristol, Jr. Swimming Pool, and the new Ade Fitness Center adjacent to the 55,000-square-foot Margaret Bundy Scott Field House.
The Jack B. Riffle Dinner for Senior Varsity Athletes was established in 1987. It is named in honor of 1950 Hamilton graduate Jack Riffle, a long-time supporter of Hamilton athletics who was chairman and chief executive officer of the Utica National Insurance Company at the time of his death in 1986.
