SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Boasting multiple seasons of professional experience overseas and holding a longstanding familiarity with head coach Marty Richter, Anthony Murphy joins the USC Upstate men's basketball program as a member of Richter's inaugural coaching staff.
 
"I believe I've built a coaching staff that brings a great amount of positivity to the coaching floor. I've selected people who work hard, enjoy the game, can have fun as they nurture developing talent, yet understand discipline," expressed Richter. "Coach Murphy checks all these boxes and more, but I didn't just choose Tone for this staff. I chose Tone 8 years ago - first as a member of my first team at Florida Southwestern State College, then again as I joined the Drake men's basketball staff, and now here, as we lead the Spartans to a historic season. He's never disappointed. To watch Tone mature into the player, man, and father he is today has been a distinct pleasure. Tone is family. As much as I hope to elevate him, he and the players who have held the ball with him have brought more to me than I can articulate. I'm grateful that Tone took the leap with me again."
 
Murphy returns to coaching following a two-season stint playing professionally overseas, competing in Austria—for UBSC Raiffeisen Graz—and in Luxembourg. Following his collegiate playing days, he spent the 2020-21 season as a graduate assistant at his alma mater, Drake. The Bulldogs earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, earning their first NCAA Tournament victory since 1971 with a 53-52 win in the First Four over Wichita State.
 
Before embarking on his coaching career, Murphy closed his collegiate playing career at Drake, helping the Bulldogs to consecutive 20-win seasons in 2018-19 and 2019-20, the first consecutive 20-win campaigns for the program since 1969-70 and 1970-71. His first season in a Bulldog uniform saw Drake make an appearance in the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament after capturing a share of the Missouri Valley regular season championship.
 
Murphy joined the Bulldogs following a two-season stint at Florida Southwestern State, helping the Buccaneers to 56 victories and a pair of National Junior College Athletic Association National Tournament appearances. During the 2017-18 campaign, Florida Southwestern finished 30-3, earning the No. 6 overall seed in that season's NJCAA Tournament.
 
A native of Griffith, Ind., Murphy graduated from Drake in 2020 with a Bachelor of Arts in Rhetoric & Social Change.
 
All hires by the University of South Carolina Upstate athletic department are subject to an approved background check.

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