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Murphy

mbdfan

Well-Known Member
Mar 17, 2007
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appears change is on the way for both programs, girls already been informed, awaiting word on boys side.
 
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Extremely happy to see changes being made. This was long overdue and should put Murphy headed back in the right direction.
 
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boys informed this morning. Ray Gutiérrez new boys coach, great choice and glad to have him back in the family.

It appears Ray is going to coach both teams, I'm not sure that's a long term solution for the girls program (if for no other reason than that's a lot of responsibility for one coach) but should be OK for now.
 
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That sounds like a big work load. Hope that's just a short term thing.
 
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boys informed this morning. Ray Guiterrez new boys coach, great choice and glad to have him back in the family.

It appears Ray is going to coach both teams, I'm not sure that's a long term solution for the girls program (if for no other reason than that's a lot of responsibility for one coach) but should be OK for now.
Has this ever happened before in HS Varsity basketball?
 
This should bring Bulldog Country back together again as one cohesive machine now. Ask almost any Murphy fan and I would bet they say Ray was not only the first choice, but THE choice to get Murphy back into the hunt for SMC titles. Go Dogs !!!!!!!
 
I'm sure it has at some point but don't know of any recent examples.
I am thinking this might of happened in '06 or '07 with Cherokee, I do not think the girls coach was fired just resigned (enter Mintz) and the boys coach I am sure was fired in fact Cherokee went thru 3 coaches from '06-'08 and then cycled thru some more after that. Again I am surprised on the talent aspect of Murphy (not debating ADM). They have stellar athletes and I am just wondering is there a lack of interest to play bball because Id think some of those athletes would filter in from football (not saying some dont). And again before Hayesville was consecutively on top Murphy was there or fighting to stay there.
 
I wonder if any players from Hiwassee Dam will follow him to Murphy? Any thoughts?
 
I'm sure it has at some point but don't know of any recent examples.
Sorry misread the post about him coaching both. No idea as well. But there are plenty of examples of the coaches coaching both just at later times. Did Andrews coach once coach girls and then boys? And Robbinsvilles former girls coach now coaches the boys.
 
Sorry misread the post about him coaching both. No idea as well. But there are plenty of examples of the coaches coaching both just at later times. Did Andrews coach once coach girls and then boys? And Robbinsvilles former girls coach now coaches the boys.

At one time Coach Solesbee coached both JVs and both Varsities,
 
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I wonder if any players from Hiwassee Dam will follow him to Murphy? Any thoughts?
Their best players are all graduating pretty much but they did win the SMC JV, so they still have some talent in the pipeline. As for any of the underclassmen following Ray over? It's possible but I kind of doubt it unless they just really want to play for Ray, because I'm not sure I see the benefit otherwise when they're already part of a strong program at HD.

Murphy has a really talented freshman in Clapsaddle but she will need some help other than Stroup to have any shot of realistically competing for a conference title in the next couple of years. One thing going for the girls is they bring everyone back, but someone else is going to have to step up to complement those two.

As for Murphy boys, what can you say? They should be more competitive with Ray in charge, especially in the long run, but how much the results differ in the short team really just depends on who Ray can talk into coming out for the team, because right now the talent just isn't there to expect much in the short term.

The girls definitely have more building blocks to be successful in the near term, I'm not expecting anything overnight with the boys by any means, it's going to take time to rebuild that program.
 
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I would think some of the players might want to follow him. I hear that he builds relationships with his players and is generally considered a tough, fair coach. I can see players wanting to keep developing under him.
 
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I'm sure it has at some point but don't know of any recent examples.

Ken Solesbee coached both teams at Andrews for a few years 5 or 6 years ago. Nantahala has also had the same coach for both in the last 5 years. And Hiwassee Dam had a guy coach both in the early 2000s. Happens a lot more than you'd think in the SMC.
 
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I would think some of the players might want to follow him. I hear that he builds relationships with his players and is generally considered a tough, fair coach. I can see players wanting to keep developing under him.
Those are all good points and a big reason why Murphy fans are glad to have him back. I could see someone following him over to Murphy for the reasons you laid out but I guess we'll just have to wait and see how it shakes out.
 
What's up with the girl's job he is leaving? Are they looking at a big drop? I know they lose the two big girls but are they going to stay at the upper tier of the area? What do they have coming up?
 
What's up with the girl's job he is leaving? Are they looking at a big drop? I know they lose the two big girls but are they going to stay at the upper tier of the area? What do they have coming up?
their JV team won the SMC and they have a strong tradition in the sport, they will be fine long term
 
I saw them play in the playoffs a few years ago...they were pretty good back then. Not familiar with a lot of the teams in the west so I was curious.
 
They have to be in the worst girls conf in the state so easy conf champ every year.
 
I'd say SPC is the worst at the moment. 6-win Little Smoky team knocked off their 3rd place team in the playoffs. But yet, Little Smoky isn't great. That being said, their success the past few years is in no way just the product of a weak league.
 
I'd say SPC is the worst at the moment. 6-win Little Smoky team knocked off their 3rd place team in the playoffs. But yet, Little Smoky isn't great. That being said, their success the past few years is in no way just the product of a weak league.

If anything their weak league has, in my opinion, hurt their program. Late in the season they play very few meaningful games. Maybe a game with Hayesville or Robbinsville.
 
You are correct the spc is worse. I think it prob does hurt them but it's def an easy conf to win right now. Hiwasse dam is def a top notch team was just saying it's got to be boring to kill everyone by 60 and 70 each night
 
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