Basketball101

Michael Murphy has been coaching basketball for over 26 years. He has been a successful coach at every level of the game: grassroots, high school, college, and professional. He is currently the varsity assistant coach at St. Charles East High School and Co-Owner and Director of Revolution Basketball. Revolution Basketball teaches the fundamentals of the game to players of all ages and abilities. Revolution Basketball has worked with multiple WNBA players and has also prepared prospects for the NBA Scouting Combine and NBA Draft.  Before starting Revolution Basketball, Murphy had been involved with Next Level Performance, Inc.  Next Level Performance is a basketball skills training company founded by former Chicago Bull and three-time NBA Champion, Dickey Simpkins.  Murphy assumed the following roles in with NLP: General Manager, College Recruiting/Academic Consultant as well as coaching various teams that were part of the Team NLP grassroots program.  Team NLP has produced 28 Division 1 players, including three NBA players and two Illinois Mr. Basketball award winners.  Additionally, Team NLP has performed at an exceptionally high level at the AAU National Tournament:

 

2008 17U D1 6th Place

2011 17U D2 National Runner-Up

2012 16U D1 8th Place

2012 17U D1 National Runner-Up

2013 17U D1 National Champions

2013 17U D2 4th Place

2014 17U D1 8th Place

2015 17U D2 National Runner-up

2017 17U D1 National Champions

 

Coach Murphy also contributes to various basketball publications.  His articles have appeared in the Real AAU magazine and he is a member of the Editorial Advisory committee for Winning Hoops, a nationally circulated magazine that has been around for over 33 years.

 

Before joining Next Level Performance, Murphy coached at the professional level.  In 2007, Murphy was named Head Coach of the Elgin Racers.  The Racers competed in the International Basketball League (IBL) and during his inaugural season as Head Coach, the Racers posted a 16-6 record and captured the IBL's Midwest Division Championship.  As a result of the division championship and helping produce three IBL All-Stars, Murphy was elevated to Team President and Head Coach.  Murphy compiled a 25-17 record as head coach of the Racers and coached five IBL All-Stars.  The franchise was discontinued at the conclusion of the 2008 season.

 

Prior to coaching at the professional level, Murphy coached for 15 years at the high school and collegiate levels.  Coach Murphy was an assistant coach for five years at Hoffman Estates High School. During his first year, he helped the Hawks win 30 games including a Regional, Sectional, and Super Sectional Championship while advancing to the Elite 8 of the state playoff series.  Before joining the staff at Hoffman Estates, Murphy assumed the role of head coach at Vernon Hills High School.  At the age of 28, Murphy was named the first head coach in the history of this brand new high school.  Coach Murphy was responsible for implementing all facets of the program and achieved a 45-56 record during his four years at Vernon Hills.  During the 2001-2002 season, Murphy’s first year with seniors, the Cougars posted a 20-8 record, won the York Thanksgiving Tournament, and allowed the fewest points per game in Lake County.  As a result, Murphy was asked to coach in the East/West All-Star game.  During his four years at Vernon Hills, Coach Murphy helped produce three all-area players including the 2002 Lake County Player of the Year, Matt Glees.

 

As an assistant at the University of New Orleans, Coach Murphy helped the Privateers post their 13th consecutive winning season, the longest streak in Louisiana.  Coach Murphy was part of an extraordinary run by the Privateers that resulted in a decade of dominance.  From 1988-1998, the Privateers had five consecutive 20 win seasons, won the conference championship 7 times, produced 5 conference Players of the Year, and appeared in the NIT or the NCAA Tournament 9 times.  While at New Orleans, Murphy’s primary responsibilities included on-campus recruiting, film exchange, preparation for opponents, and individual player development.

 

Before pacing the sidelines as a coach, Murphy was a standout player at Illinois Tech in Chicago, Illinois.  He earned All Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) honors three consecutive years.  Additionally, he was named team captain and team MVP three years while scoring over 1,400 points during his collegiate career.  Coach Murphy graduated from the Illinois Institute of Technology with a Bachelors of Science degree in Business Administration.  Murphy continued his education at Chicago State University, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Secondary Education, a Master of Science in Occupational Education; his Master of Arts in Counseling and Human Services is from Roosevelt University.