Keith Murphy - Special Teams Coordinator - Staff Directory - Central Michigan University Athletics

Staff Directory

Keith Murphy

Title:
Special Teams Coordinator
Phone:
@CoachMurphy87 (X)
Year at CMU:
7th year at CMU
Hometown:
Seattle, Wash.
Alma Mater/Year:
Washington/1997
Experience:
29th year

Keith Murphy enters his seventh season as special teams coordinator at Central Michigan and his second under head Coach Matt Drinkall. Murphy originally joined Central Michigan as a part of Jim McElwain’s staff.

Murphy’s career includes being a finalist for Football Scoop National Special Teams Coordinator of the Year in 2022, when the Chippewas led the nation with seven blocked kicks. Over 29 years, he has coached at the NFL, FBS, and FCS levels, mentoring multiple All-Pro, All-American, and all-conference performers.

In 2025, Murphy’s special teams units helped guide the Chippewas to their first bowl appearance in four years, finishing 7-6 overall and 5-3 in the MAC, their highest win count since 2021. Placekicker Cade Graham earned Third Team All-MAC honors after leading the Chippewas with 77 points, hitting 14 of 17 field goals (nine consecutive), and converting all 35 of his point after attempts. Long snapper Ben Pratt earned All-MAC honors twice, and punter Declan Duley averaged 41.1 yards per punt.

In 2024, Murphy’s featured All-MAC placekicker Tristan Mattson, who led the conference in field goal percentage (89 percent, 16 of 18). Mattson secured three MAC Special Teams Player of the Week honors and kicked a game-winning 47-yarder against San Diego State. All-MAC punt returner Donte Kent led the conference in punt return average (13.6 yards) with a return touchdown. Murphy’s coverage units finished No. 2 in the MAC and No. 25 nationally for kickoff return defense.

In 2023, Central Michigan kickoff returner Marion Lukes earned First Team All-MAC honors by leading the MAC in three of four national categories: all-purpose yards per game (No. 9 nationally, 134.83), kickoff return touchdowns (No. 6 nationally, 581), and kickoff return average (No. 25 nationally, 23.2). Lukes led the MAC in three of these four categories. Placekicker Tristan Mattson set both school and stadium records with a 58-yard field goal vs. Akron on Oct. 14, 2023.

In 2022, Central Michigan led the nation with seven blocked kicks, earning Murphy a finalist spot for the Football Scoop National Special Teams Coach of the Year award. Murphy’s coverage units excelled, ranking No. 2 in net punting and No. 3 in kickoff coverage in the MAC. All-conference award winners included punter Luke Elzinga and return specialist DJ Stepney.

In his first three seasons as Central Michigan’s special teams coordinator/safeties coach, Murphy’s charges earned 14 postseason honors from the Mid-American Conference.

Topping those honors is Kalil Pimpleton, 2021 MAC Special Teams Player of the Year, who led the nation with a 19.1-yards per punt return average and shared the national lead with two punt return touchdowns. Both came in a 42-30 win over rival Western Michigan, including a 97-yard return, the longest in Chippewa history and the third-longest in MAC history.

Pimpleton’s big game, which earned him the MAC West Special Teams Player of the Week Award, was historic on several levels. He returned three punts for 166 yards for a 55.3-yard average, bettering by 12 yards the MAC record for punt return average in a single game that had stood since 2003. It was the first time in school history that a Chippewa player returned two punts for a TD in a game. Freshman speedster Marion Lukes averaged 23.1 yards on 21 kickoff returns and ran a kick back a school record 100 yards for touchdown in a 31-10 win over Eastern Michigan, marking CMU’s first kickoff return score since 2017.

Pimpleton, who became the first Chippewa since 2009 to earn the MAC Special Teams Player of the Year Award, earned First Team All-MAC honors as a return specialist, and another Murphy protégé, safety Devonni Reed, earned second team honors on defense.

Murphy’s 2021 punt return unit ranked No. 2 nationally with a MAC 17.6 yards per return. The kickoff return unit ranked third in the MAC. CMU improved in kickoff coverage from No. 12 in 2020 to No. 6 in 2021.

Other All-MAC performers under Murphy include three-time all-conference punter Luke Elzinga and placekicker Marshall Meeder, who earned the MAC West Special Teams Player of the Week Award after he kicked four field goals in the Chippewas’ 26-23 victory over Toledo in mid-October. It marked the first time that a Chippewa had made four field goals in a game since 2012.

Murphy joined CMU under head coach Jim McElwain, serving as special teams quality control assistant at Florida from 2016 to 2019. He worked with McElwain during his tenure at Florida (2015-17). While at Florida, Murphy coached current NFL players Evan McPherson (Cincinnati Bengals kicker), Eddy Pineiro (Carolina Panthers kicker), All-Pro Tommy Townsend (Kansas City Chiefs punter), and XFL player Johnny Townsend (Orlando punter).

Murphy’s resumé also includes stints at Southern Illinois (2014-15), New Mexico State (2009-12), and eight years at Eastern Washington (1999-06). He served as an NFL assistant with the St. Louis Rams (2007-08).

He earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Washington in 1997, where he launched his coaching career as a graduate assistant.

THE MURPHY FILE

Hometown: Seattle, Wash.

Family
Wife Carrie, daughter Lexi, son Trey

Education
Bachelor of Science, Psychology, University of Washington, 1997

Coaching Career
Special Teams Coordinator, Central Michigan University, 2024
Special Teams Coordinator and Safeties Coach, Central Michigan University, 2020-23
Special Teams Quality Control Coach, University of Florida, 2016-19
Special Teams Coordinator/Tight Ends Coach, Southern Illinois University, 2014-15
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends/Special Teams Coordinator, New Mexico State University, 2009-12
Assistant Special Teams Coach/Offensive Quality Control Coach, St. Louis Rams, 2007-08
Wide Receivers Coach/Special Teams Coordinator, Eastern Washington University, 1999-06
Graduate Assistant, University of Washington, 1997-99